Shards Of A Haunted Mind
by fat1236
Summary: When Peter and Edmund arrive at the scene of a battle, they think they are too late to save anyone, but then they find a traumatised young girl hidden underneath the floorboards. EdmundxOC
1. Chapter 1

_Ok, so this is a new story I thought of a few days ago! My first chapters are never very good but the story does get better! (I like to think). Please read and review this, and if you like it, then maybe take a look at my other stories, Fluttering and I Couldn't Leave Her (the second one is my personal favourite). Anyway, enjoyyyyyyy....._

"We're too late." Peter groaned as he and his soldiers surveyed the surrounding area. They were in a small village North of Cair Paravel that bordered Archenland. The occupants of the village were Archenlanders, but upon hearing of the attack Peter had determined that Cair Paravel was much closer to the village then Anvard and decided that if anyone were to help the villagers, they would be there fastest. It had been home to around a hundred and fifty people, the bodies of whom lay scattered on the grass, their limbs at awkward angles and blood blooming on their clothes.

Peter and Edmund took of their helmets in respect for those who had died. Men. Women. Children. It seemed no-one had been spared in this attack. Doors hung of their frames and windows were smashed.

Although they had only been kings of Narnia for less than a year, Peter had already turned fifteen and Edmund was nearly thirteen. The two were keen to defend their new country, even if it was just a small village that didn't even belong to them.

The day was unbelievably nice. If it hadn't been for the tragedy before them that is. The sun was shining as it so frequently did in Narnia now and a slight breeze blew through the village, cooling everyone down. But they didn't need to be cooled, not even the creatures that had been running for hours noticed how hot they were as the feeling of dread made them feel cold inside.

"Search for survivors." Peter told his soldiers, watching as the five big cats, three wolves and twelve dogs raced away. He and Edmund sat on the backs of centaurs, Orieus and his son, Arion. The group they had chosen was one of speed, designed so that they could reach the village in less than a tenth of the time it would have taken foot soldiers. But it hadn't been enough.

"No survivors." One of the dogs reported after five minutes of searching, coming up to the two kings.

"This is awful." Peter said sadly. "This wasn't an attack, it was a slaughter."

"Come on." Edmund called out, inclining his head slightly to show that it was time to leave.

The small group started to file back through the village, passing the ransacked houses.

"Wait." The youngest wolf near the back of the group called out, pricking up his ears and turning one slightly so he could hear more clearly. "I hear breathing." He told the now stationary group. Edmund jumped of Arion and followed the wolf, closely followed by Peter.

The wolf trotted back the way they'd come, stopping with one paw raised to listen some more, finally running towards a house that'd had its door ripped completely off. He ran straight over to a large cupboard and sniffed at the floor before it. "In here." He called, nuzzling at the partially opened door until it swung open. Edmund and Peter ran in after him, stopping to look at the mess. Glasses, plates and everything breakable had been broken. Chairs and tables were overturned, one chair lay in shattered pieces of wood near a dent in the wall where it had obviously been thrown. The curtains had been pulled down, the delicate shade of blue was covered in boot prints of mud, manure and blood. Food lay scattered about, apples lay stationary among the debris and juicy pears had splattered, making the floor slippery. Worst of all, the body of a young woman, about twenty or thirty years old, was lying on the floor, blood covering her clothes where she had been stabbed with a sword.

Averting their eyes in sadness, Peter looked through the door, it seemed to be a cloak cupboard, though someone had recently shifted through the belongings, making several of the cloaks fall to the floor.

Peter picked the clothes of the floor, checking there wasn't someone underneath them. He and Edmund looked at each other as the wolf stuck his nose in and smelt around the poky area.

"Wait a minute." Edmund said, noticing one of the floorboards. The gap between that and its neighbours were much wider and cleaner and it had a small hole at one end, big enough to fit one finger through. The wolf stepped back out of the cupboard and Edmund crawled in. He knelt to the side and pushed his finger into the hole, lifting up the floorboard with ease. Then the grasped the one on the other side and pulled that up as well. As the daylight fell into the newly created hole they saw a young girl, about nine or ten sitting there. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and a small knife was clutched in her right hand while her left was balled into a fist that she had hiding her mouth. She was looking up at them, her face tear streaked and her eyes wide. There was such silence that her breathing was the only thing anyone could hear, it was uneven and ragged and seemed so loud it was almost deafening.

None of them seemed to know what to do and simply stared at her. Her gaze flickered between them, her eyes had a distant-like quality, taking on the slight look of someone who has seen things they should never have to witness.

"Hello." Peter said slowly. She flinched away from the sound of his voice, her eyes fixed on him as though he was going to do something to her.

When he didn't move she looked straight ahead, seemingly at nothing.

"You try." Peter mouthed above her head.

"Why me??" Edmund mouthed back.

"You're closer to her age!" Peter replied. He wasn't sure that Edmund had managed to decipher all of what he said, but his message was clear.

"Come on." Edmund said to the girl gently, trying not to wince as she flinched away from his voice too. "It's safe now." He said, holding out his hand for her.

Edmund wasn't known for his gentleness, that was Susan, but now he was discovering qualities he didn't know he had.

The girl looked at him, her breathing was still funny, but he thought that was from shock and fright. She twitched her left hand towards him, keeping her right hand and the knife securely to her chest. Her hand stopped, then slowly inched towards him again until she finally, hesitantly, placed her hand in his. He pulled her up and she easily fitted through the floorboards. She didn't seem capable of doing much so Edmund slowly put his hands on her waist and lifted her out of the hole. Once she was firmly on the ground again, her hands went back to exactly the same place they'd been before; clutched to her chest.

Now she was standing, she began to shake uncontrollably, her muscles all tensed as she tried to stop shaking, but the shaking only seemed to intensify. Her dress looked as though it was a light blue colour, but a layer of dust had settled all over her, making her dark brown hair mousey and causing her tears to leave streaks down her cheeks.

"Can you walk?" Peter asked her, uncertain. She didn't look at any of them, just looked vacantly straight ahead into the wall. Edmund followed her gaze. There was nothing special about that patch of wall, it was just the same as everywhere else.

"Pete. Maybe we shouldn't let her walk..." Edmund said, inclining his head to the left slightly towards the body of her mother.

"Right." Peter said in understanding. "I'll carry her." He picked her up bridal style with her back turned to the body of her dead mother. She didn't seem to notice, her body remained rigid and shaking and the knife remained clasped in her unsteady hand. Edmund went out of the house first, then the wolf and then Peter with the girl.

"Oreius, do you mind carrying two?" Edmund asked the older centaur as they neared the group.

"Not at all your majesty, but I will have to go slower."

"That's fine."

"Is the young girl ok?"

"We're not entirely sure. She doesn't speak." Edmund neared Orieus and his son and told them quietly as Peter still walked closer. "I think she saw things. She definitely heard things."

The centaurs nodded, glancing at each other. "So young." Said Arion, bowing his head in sadness.

Peter put the girl down and jumped onto Orieus, leaving Edmund to lift her up to him with some difficulty. His body hadn't developed much muscle yet.

Peter wrapped an arm around the girl and used his thighs to tightly grip Orieus as the centaur trotted of, he and his son leading the small group.

"What about all the body's?" Edmund asked quietly from beside him with a furtive glance at the girl who appeared not to hear him.

"We'll leave it to the Archenlanders. They may want to honour them with a traditional Archenland burial."

Edmund nodded and looked at the girl again. "What's her name?"

"Excuse me, what is your name?" Peter asked her gently, bowing his head slightly to try and look into her face. Her eyes remained downcast and as before, she appeared not to hear them. The brothers shrugged at each other before Peter thought of something. "Maybe she's deaf..."

"No, I think she's fine physically."

"It's just mentally that's the problem then?"

"Yeah...maybe Su will be able to get something out of her." Edmund said sceptically, ending the conversation. The rest of the journey was in silence between the two brothers. The wolves, dogs and big cats behind them talked amongst themselves quietly but the centaurs and brothers remained subdued.


	2. Chapter 2

_Ok you wonderful readers...I'm so ashamed of myself! It's been 16 months since I first posted this story! I'm sooooo sorry! Thankyou to the 8 wonderful people who reviewed the first chapter and I am SO SO sorry to have completely failed at being a good writer...but now here's my idea of a long chapter to make up for it! Please review and let me know you're happy I've finally done something! Enjoy!_

The group walked through the gates of Cair Paravel slowly with saddened hearts a few hours later. Although Orieus was carrying two he walked in with more energy and grace than any of the others, his head held high and proud as usual. The group stopped at the bottom of the entrance steps and Lucy and Susan ran out to greet them and enquire into the success of the battle before they realised how dejected their forms were.

Edmund jumped from Arion's back with a mutter of thanks and helped the girl dismount before Peter jumped down behind them.

"It was over before we got there." Peter told Susan shortly as she stared at the young girl. "She's the only survivor."

At his words Lucy tried to speak comfortingly to the girl. "Hello," she said softly, "what's your name?" at eleven years old Lucy should've looked the same age as the girl, but the girls dirty, dishevelled form seemed to shrink into itself at Lucy's words as the girls face crumpled and more tears started to flow. Taking a few steps back the girl hid behind a taller and very surprised Edmund and clung to his chainmail; burying her face in one of his shoulder blades.

Everyone turned to stare at Edmund in shock and he shook his head slightly with wide eyes to indicate he had no idea why she'd chosen him.

"Mrs Beaver is of the caring, mothering sort...perhaps we should take her to her...?" Susan said, her voice rising in her uncertainty.

"Good idea, Su!" Peter exclaimed, glad that someone had come up with an idea and broken the awkward silence that had descended over everyone gathered at the girls actions.

"Did someone say my name?" Asked Mrs Beaver as she appeared in the castle entrance. "Oh, Peter, Edmund, you're back safely!" She called in happiness as she spied the two young Kings and started to come down the steps. "And who is this?"

"We're not sure Mrs Beaver..." Peter told her as she walked to the small cluster of royals. "She's the only survivor, but she won't speak. We were hoping that you would know what to do..."

"I think a nice cup of tea and some cake first, and then a hot bath and change of clothes..."

"Excellent plan Mrs Beaver!" Peter said, ever grateful to her for taking control of the situation.

"Come along dear." Mrs Beaver said to the girl; walking around Edmund to try and get to her, but the girl shrunk away from her helping paw and clung tighter to Edmund, gradually working her way to standing in front of him as she tried to stay out of Mrs Beaver's kind reach.

"Erm, hello." Edmund said to the girl as she looked up at him with puffy eyes. Mrs Beaver stopped chasing the girl at Edmund's voice and instead watched him. "I really do think you should go with Mrs Beaver...she's very nice!" After an agonisingly long moment her hand unfurled from the front of his chain mail and curled up again in front of her mouth uncertainly. Her other hand was still clinging onto the knife; Peter had thought it best to just let her keep hold of it on the journey, even though she'd almost poked her eye out with it several times.

Mrs Beaver once again held up her paw and the girl slowly inched her hand towards it. Everyone breathed an audible sigh of relief when Mrs Beaver eventually led the girl up the steps and into the castle whilst chattering to the girl about her very nice fruit cake that everyone admired.

"Tell us everything." Susan said, turning to Peter and Edmund suddenly.

"Everyone come to the kitchen for refreshments." Peter called over his shoulder at the still waiting group before following Mrs Beaver and the girls up the steps. "Well," he started as his sibling fell into step beside him, "It was a complete slaughter. We got there and nobody was alive and just as we were leaving Sharpfur heard breathing. He followed the sound to a house and we found the girl underneath the floorboards in a cupboard! She won't speak or make a sound...even her crying is silent! Her mother was dead only a few feet from her and the house was completely ruined..." Peter trailed off as they neared the kitchen.

"I think she saw things." Edmund inputted. "I mean...she's what? Ten?"

Peter nodded on the other side of the group. "I'm not surprised she won't talk."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out she'll be scarred for life." Susan said quietly as they all stood outside the kitchen.

Inside, Mrs Beaver was bustling about making tea whilst the girl was wrapped in a blanket and seated on a chair at the wooden table with a plate of a large piece of fruit cake in front of her. Her treasured knife lay beside the cake and the girl was instead using her fists to hold onto the blanket around her. Her feet were so high off the floor it would've been comical if her situation wasn't so sad.

"Here you are my dear." Mrs Beaver said, cheerfully putting a down tea in Mrs Beavers own mug. "Now eat up!"

As the Narnian group arrived at the kitchen behind the royals Mrs Beaver looked up at them all. "Cook has made some tomato soup that you might enjoy." She said to the four humans. "What can I get the rest of you?" She asked the beats behind them.

Each species clamoured separately for their own preference before leaving the kitchen doorway and slinking off to the great hall as they had no wish to spend any more time than necessary with the silent child.

Throughout all of this Edmund had been watching the girl and as he turned to leave he realised that not once had she looked up and acknowledged anyone.

The young girl stayed at Cair Paravel for the next two months, at first she was under the care of Mrs Beaver but then the grey wolf Gelanide took her under her care. The match was perfect; the girl (whom they nicknamed Enid because it meant 'quiet woman') had lost everything in the slaughter, and Gelanide had lost her two cubs and partner to the sickness Anthrax a few weeks ago. Geladine needed someone to love, whilst Enid needed someone to care for her and love her.

In the months Enid and Geladine lived at the castle they were given their own room and allowed to do as they pleased. The two were frequently seen sitting together in the garden on the swing seat and, despite the sunshine, Enid was always wrapped in a warm blanket as she was dangerously thin from a lack of nourishment. Everyone inside the castle continuously tried to tempt her to eat tasty morsels at all hours of the day but her blank stare and unresponsiveness would deter anyone from trying for more than a few minutes. Lucy had kindly given Enid all of her clothes that she herself had outgrown as Enid was slightly smaller than Lucy and would sit and talk to Enid even though the younger never replied.

One morning at breakfast the royal siblings were squabbling over which was the best type of fruit when Edmund observed that raspberry's must be the best and that he could prove this as whilst they were his favourite fruit, they also seemed to be Enid's favourite as they were the fruit she most frequently ate.

"Safie." She said so quietly her voice was barely a whisper. She sat as usual wrapped in a warm blanket with Geladine by her side. It was a moment before the table's occupants fell silent as they realised one by one that Enid had spoken.

"Pardon?" Asked Mr Tumnus hesitantly after a lengthy pause.

"Safie." She said again, slightly louder this time. Her voice sounded hoarse and unused and the word was awkward in her mouth. Enid licked her lips and continued to stare blankly at her empty plate as though nothing had happened.

"Safie isn't a fruit." Lucy whispered uncertainly after another pause.

"No silly, it's her name!" Edmund suddenly exclaimed. "Safie, would you like some tea?" He called down the table.

Safie shook her head mechanically and Edmund triumphantly looked around at his siblings as she proved his theory.

For the remainder of breakfast everyone attempted to get Safie to speak again but the young girl steadfastly refused to even acknowledge that anyone else but Gelanide was even in the room.


	3. Chapter 3

_Right so it's been over a week since I updated, but that's good for me! This chapter is not action packed, it's really to show that time is passing in Narnia and to help build the bond between Edmund and Safie. Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed; it's been wonderful to find this story already has so much support after only 2 chapters! As always, please review. It does make me happy...Enjoy_

"Edmund?" Peter called out to his brother as he saw him walk past his open study door.

Edmund's questioning face appeared in the doorway a moment later and Peter beckoned him in, standing up from behind his desk with King Lune's letter in his hand.

"King Lune's replied. He says Safie has no known family and that we should send her to him so that he can find her a home."

Edmund took the letter from Peter's hand and read it quickly himself, his eyes flicking back and forth over the lines.

"I don't think it's a good idea." He said, handing the letter back to Peter. "If she went to live in Archenland she'd have to leave Geladine, and I don't think she could take the separation now that they've bonded."

Peter nodded his head, surprised as his brother's insight. "Although there's no reason Geladine could not go to Archenland with her.."

"No, Archenland cannot cater for the needs of a wolf, only Narnia can." Peter grinned as Edmund shot back the response instantly, concluding that Edmund must have gone away and thought about this for he never came up with answers so quickly normally.

"I think you're biased, Ed...but ok. Provided the girls approve Safie should be able to stay on at Cair Paravel with us for as long as she wishes...Have her nightmares stopped?" He asked suddenly, remembering Edmund saying that she screamed in the night.

"No." Edmund replied simply, spying Safie and Geladine sitting on the swing-seat in the garden below.

The young girl was dangerously thin. At 9 years old she was wearing Lucy's borrowed clothes that Edmund's sister had worn when she was 7 years old. She constantly looked exhausted and ate very little, if anything at meal times.

"Someone should comfort her." Peter mused. "Geladine obviously isn't enough right now; she needs more care...why don't you comfort her?" He asked suddenly. Edmund's room was right next to Safie in the east wing of the castle.

Edmund looked at his brother with an expression Peter could not place. "I do." He whispered quietly.

Since maturing he'd taken on a much more passive role amongst the siblings. He was constantly doing good deeds; he just didn't feel the need to tell everyone about it."

"Oh, right." Peter replied, his voice laden with surprise. "Well, I'll get on and deal with this." He said, tapping the letter against his hand and striding out of the study in search of their sisters.

Edmund stared at Safie for a moment more before leaving and heading for the kitchen with the intention of getting some fruit and forcing Safie to eat it.

Mrs Beaver had wrapped up the cheese, grapes and pears in a convenient cloth for Edmund which he carried as he ducked underneath low-hanging trees in a short cut to get to Safie.

"Good morning." He called out, walking around the swing-seat and presenting his face to the two.

"Good morning, you're Highness." Geladine replied, bowing her head in greeting.

"I have brought some food for Safie and I to share, if you would like to take this time to go hunting, Geladine."

"Thank you, Sire. I will be back soon." She said to Safie, pressing her side into the girl reassuringly.

Edmund took her place on the swing-seat and opened up the cloth, offering Safie the first choice of food.

After a moment her hand extended from inside the blanket she was wrapped up in and selected a small grape.

Edmund followed her example and chose a grape as well, determined to eat only what Safie did.

"What are your nightmares about?" He asked suddenly. Safie blinked at him slowly and remained silent. Raising the grape to her lips, she instead began to skilfully tear the fragile skin off it with her front teeth.

Edmund stared in horror at the ridiculous method of eating, realising he'd never truly watched how Safie managed to get away with eating so little. "Sorry, stupid question." He said, eating his own grape in three quick grinds of his teeth.

"You know, you're going to have to have a conversation with me some time, probably very soon because neither of us are leaving this swing-seat until I see you eat properly, and we have a full conversation." He told her conversationally, holding out the cloth full of food again.

She'd eaten her grape now and almost, but not quite, smiled at him.

"You sound like my Daddy." She whispered, her face falling again.

Edmund's heart went out to the young girl and he wanted more than anything just to hug her and tell her it'd all be alright, but he knew that wouldn't work here. Safie would not recover from the state she'd withdrawn into just because he told her everything would be ok.

"Safie, I know I can't even imagine what you've been through, but everyone here wants you to be happy, and if you'll let us, we can become like a family to you." He told her quietly.

She didn't look at him, just stared resolutely ahead, but he knew she was listening.

"Come on, let's do something you love. Do you like drawing? Playing in the sea?" He prompted her. She looked at him shyly with her big eyes, her hair hanging around her face like tears.

"I like dancing." She finally whispered in the quiet tone that she had.

"Then let's dance!" He declared, putting the food down on the swing seat on his other side he jumped up suddenly and held out his hand for Safie. She didn't move, simply stared up at him dumbly.

He reached down and hauled her up, grabbing hold of her hands and hopping around in a circle, forcing her to trot around with him.

"Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-dum-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-dum!" He sung in a random tune, repeating it over and over until Safie started smiling and hopped around with him, skipping and even joining in the song.

The two stopped breathless after a few minutes and sat back down on the swing-seat. This time when Edmund offered her the food, she chose a sizeable chunk of cheese.


	4. Chapter 4

_Ok, so I know it's been almost a month since my last update, but hey, be happy, the updates here! Thank you soooooo much to everyone who's reviewed...I think this must be my most successful story so far! I've got 22 reviews after only 3 chapters so thank you everyone! As always, please review, it does make me happy, just like I hope this update makes you happy! Enjoy!_

Safie was hidden in her wardrobe, cowering in the gloom she rocked herself backwards and forwards with her hands clasped firmly over her ears as the battle sounds raged only a few metres away in the garden below.

Her cheeks were streaked with tears as she hummed tunelessly to herself, desperate to block out the noise. She gave a sudden sob and closed her eyes but immediately opened them again as images she'd buried deep within herself emerged inside her closed eyelids.

_A Calormene welded his sword, cutting her father's throat cleanly. Not content, the Calormene ran him through before discarding him like a piece of bloody tissue. Her mother was blocking up the door, propping chairs underneath the handle to stop anyone coming in._

"_Safie! Get away from there!" She screamed; fear and sheer panic making her fumble in her job._

_Safie barely heard her; she may be young but she was old enough to understand what was going on._

_Suddenly her mother had pulled her roughly away from the window and was lifting up the floorboards. She pushed Safie in and handed her the knife, already slotting one of the floorboards back in place._

"_No matter what happens, don't come out! Don't make a sound and don't let them know you're here!" She said frantically, the final floorboard sliding into place as her words ended. There had been no time for Safie's mother to say how much she loved her, ensuring that Safie survived was the only thing her mother and father could do now. _

Though Safie's eyes were open and she no longer saw the horrific images she could still hear the smashing of their house and her mother's screams.

Another sob escaped her and she tried to curl up even more, missing the familiar feel of the knife in her hands; at least last time she'd had protection; here she had nothing.

Her back was beginning to bruise from the continuous impact of the wardrobe as she rocked herself and she eventually fell over sideways, too scared to close her eyes and too scared to take her hands from her ears.

She barely even realised that she was shaking violently and it was several hours before she realised that the only sound she could hear was that of her own frightened breathing.

She sat up, her head brushing against her hanging dresses and waited and waited as she eventually calmed down and worked up the courage to open the wardrobe doors.

They swung open soundlessly and she crept down, taking up her knife from under her pillow as she passed her bed and slowly opening her room door.

The corridor was empty; only a small bloodstain indicated that anything had happened.

"Safie!" She whipped around with a gasp of fear, her knife out and ready in front of her.

Edmund held up his hands in a sign of peace and Safie slowly lowered her knife with a shaking hand. He'd returned from the victorious battle and already cleaned himself up in the time it had taken Safie to realise there was no longer any fighting.

Edmund wanted to ask if she was alright, but he knew it was a stupid question. "Come on." He said kindly, holding out a hand to Safie. "Let's sort you out." She took a few small steps towards him and he put his arm around her shoulders, guiding her down the corridors to the bath room he'd just vacated. Though each sibling and Safie had their own bath and washbasin, they had several wash rooms around Cair Paravel for the staff, visitors and in case anyone wanted a bath in something that was more like a small swimming pool.

With a cloth he dabbed as Safie's red eyes and ran a dry towel over her hair where her tears had leaked from the strange positions she'd lain in.

He then led her down to the kitchen, fighting exhaustion himself from the strenuous fighting. Peter was already there, mopping up soup with a thick hunk of bread. He nodded in acknowledgement of the two and, though he observed Safie's condition he chose not to comment on it.

Edmund helped her sit down and went to collect two bowls of soup from the busy Mrs Beaver and Mr Tumnus, whispering to them to send for someone to find Geladine. The wolf had chosen to fight with them against the small population that remained in support of the White Witch who had suddenly created an uprising in a last attempt to instigate the old Narnia.

Safie ate a little in silence before saying very quietly that she was going to bed.

"She's lapsing." Peter said to Edmund in a hushed voice, leaning over the table as soon as Safie had gone.

"I know. It must've been the fighting.." Edmund replied, mulling things over in his head as he attempted to explain her behaviour.

"The sounds and images will have brought back unpleasant memories." Mr Tumnus said as he collected up the two empty bowls and Safie's which was still almost full. "And so soon after her birthday celebrations...may I suggest, Peter, that you release Geladine from her guard duties so that she can stay the night with the girl?"

Edmund nodded in agreement with Mr Tumnus. "She needs careful care."

"I've already tried!" Peter replied. "I've released Geladine from her position as a member of the guard over ten times but the wolf wants to work! She refuses to live here unless she earns her keep. I told her looking after Safie could be her earnings, but she said her duty is to us as well as Safie!"

"You called, my King?" Peter whipped around in his seat as Geladine's smooth voice sounded behind him.

"I'll prove it!" Peter said to Mr Tumnus and Edmund, willing them to understand that it was Geladine's choice not his. "Geladine, I want you to forget your place within the guard; your job will instead be caring for Safie."

"Sire, we have already spoken of this and decided that my duty is to the Kings and Queens of Narnia as well as Safie."

Peter turned to Edmund and Mr Tumnus with an exasperated look in his eyes. "Then at least take tonight off to comfort Safie, she has been greatly upset by the battle."

"As you wish, Sire." Geladine said, bowing her head briefly and trotting off.

"What are we going to do, Pete? She can't function as a member of society if she keeps lapsing." Edmund said desperately, pleading with Peter to come up with a plan.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Peter asked in retaliation, alarmed at the responsibility cast upon him as he realised Edmund was right.

Edmund leant back against his chair as he thought in silence. "I want to keep her here. I want her to know she will always be provided for, whether or not she recovers. We have enough money to support one single girl..."

Peter nodded slowly. He had always intended to allow Safie to stay with them for as long as she wanted; be it months, years or decades, things just seemed a little more final now.

Safie's screaming woke Edmund up that night. His heart sank as he realised that her nightmares had returned; there'd been a brief period of only a month recently when Safie hadn't had nightmares, but her lapse had brought them back again.

He rolled out of bed and had just reached the door when she heard the screams stop. Pausing with his hand on the doorknob he remembered that Geladine was spending the night with her and resisted the temptation to go to her anyway.

Geladine had never been with Safie after one of her nightmares; the wolf may not know what to do, what to say.

Edmund shook his head slightly and reprimanded himself for actually wanting to miss an opportunity to sleep for reasons he could not explain.


	5. Chapter 5

_Ok so I haven't been the best ever author...I've kept you all waiting over a month for this chapter, but in my defence, this is a loooooong chapter, and, in my opinion, it's a pretty good one too! Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time, and please do it again! Also, I've just released another Narnia story, it's LAVENDER MOON and it's the sequel to I COULDN'T LEAVE HER. Please check it out! As always, please review...it makes me happy! Enjoy! _

Safie hovered in the doorway as Susan and Lucy each looked through a telescope, unsure of whether or not she wanted to see this. The battle had not even started yet; it was simply the assembling of the armies and though a night's sleep had done Safie a lot of good, she wasn't quite like she had been a few days ago.

Though Peter and Edmund had triumphed in the previous battle a small collection of White Witch supporters still remained, determined to fight to the victory or complete extinction.

"Lamia!" Susan gasped in horror as she spied something through the telescope.

Safie lingered a moment longer, surprised into motionless.

"We must warn them!" Susan said, throwing her telescope down and running out of the room.

"Su?" Lucy called out worriedly as Susan's hemline whipped around the door.

Safie walked in slowly and took up the telescope Susan had discarded.

"What is it? Who's Lamia?" Lucy demanded desperately, completely left out of the loop.

Safie scanned the small armies through the telescope, finally focusing on a beautiful women who wore nothing but a single piece of light cloth wrapped around herself to protect her modesty.

"There. Beside the smallest minotaur." Safie said quietly, still staring through the telescope. "I always thought Lamia was a myth; she eats children and can change from a beautiful woman to a huge serpent in seconds." Safie explained, trying not to think of the time her father had told her that if she didn't go to sleep Lamia would get her.

"Oh, Aslan." Lucy whispered, horror filling her as she realised Lamia would be concentrating on Edmund and Peter; the only two children out there. "Susan shouldn't have gone! An adult should have! Now all three are in danger."

Safie shook her head. The situation had brought her out of her reverie as she worried for her friends; her only protection in the world. "Not Peter, he's 16 now, he's no longer a child."

The two saw Susan emerge from the palace and run out onto the grassy plane in front of Cair Paravel. But her actions were wasted; Orieus had already alerted Edmund and Peter to Lamia's presence and the two were currently fighting with Peter insisting Edmund return to Cair Paravel, and Edmund insisting he stayed and fought.

"It's useless." Safie whispered, speaking more to herself than Lucy. "She'll get us all, no matter where we go."

Lucy stared at Safie who looked resolutely forward, not even looking through the telescope now.

"Then we need to be ready." Lucy said, turning and dashing from the room. She returned a few minutes later from the armoury, laden down with bows, arrows, swords and three shields. She struggled to heave them all into the study; Safie would've helped her but she was watching Edmund. Through the telescope she could see the anger on his face at being forbidden from the battle as he stalked back to the palace with Susan.

"Is this really necessary?" Susan asked patronisingly as the two walked into the study. Edmund merely nodded his approval and began to silently weigh the swords in his hands.

"Safie says Lamie will still get us because we're children, no matter where we are." Lucy explained, checking her cordial was secure around her waist.

"Oh, Safie spoke, did she?" Susan asked scathingly.

Edmund glared at her and Safie merely looked at the floor in embarrassment and shame.

"Don't be unkind, Susan. It's better to be safe than sorry." Lucy said, darting a glance at the silent Safie.

Edmund walked over to Safie and handed her a dagger and one of the lightweight swords he'd been weighing. "Use this one." He said to her so quietly his sisters didn't hear.

Safie took it and attempted a miserable smile. Edmund gave her a half smile back as she grasped the dagger in one hand and the sword in the other.

None of them were prepared for it and no-one could have foreseen that it would happen so quickly.

The big window shattered into a thousand little pieces that shattered into a thousand more at they hit the floor, walls, ceiling and furniture.

The three girls screamed in fright at the suddenness of it and Edmund reacted as quickly as he could, leaning over Safie (who was closest), he shielded the terrified girl from the flying glass with his back.

Realistically, he knew Safie would be no good in a fight. The girl was too traumatised by her past to handle it and the Pevensie's had not had the foresight to think of teaching her to defend herself.

Lucy too was a weak fighter, and Susan was really only good with a bow and arrow.

Realising it was all on him he turned, taking less than a moment to get his bearings he suddenly threw himself to the left, pushing Safie out of the way at the same time as the giant serpent jabbed it's head at them, it's wide mouth gaping horribly.

It was a disturbing image; like something from a young child's nightmare. The scales were a beautiful deep emerald green, but its mouth was as big as at least two people. Its fangs were like nothing he'd ever seen before, but it was the completely black orb-like eyes that truly alarmed Edmund. They didn't shine with intelligence as the eyes of the beasts of Narnia did, but they glinted with malice, with pure evil.

With a war cry he swung at the creature's nose but his sword merely bounded off its scales and only resulted in strong vibrations hurting Edmund as they ran up his arms.

The glass shards were settling and crunched underneath his feet as he swung again, probing for a weak spot. At least whilst he was attacking the monster it was too preoccupied with trying to kill him to go for any of the three girls, and this enabled Susan to string an arrow and fire, but her arrow too bounded harmlessly off Lamia. Its writhing body was crashing into the furniture, denting and bashing Peter's desk and sending many books flying; the majority of which landed on the cowering Safie.

Out of the window Lucy could see half of the Narnian army frantically running back to Cair Paravel, Peter amongst them as he strove to reach his siblings. She lost sight of them as she was hit by the end of Lamia's tail and sent flying back into the wall with a small thump. She was dazed for a moment, but she had landed right next to the armour they'd all been testing before Lamia had arrived, and so she picked up a dagger, the only weapon that hadn't failed on Lamia, and threw it.

Lamia turned, incensed at the attacks.

Susan, Lucy and Edmund all stood along the one wall that was to the right of the window. Safie was opposite them, lying among the glass and books that'd fallen from the bookcase.

Edmund gave a cry of pain as one of Lamia's fangs slashed his arm just above his gauntlet. Lamia gave a screeching noise of something they could only assume to be triumph. Susan fired an arrow and though Lamia's eyes had been fixed on Edmund the monster instead turned to look at Susan, its malicious eyes glinting as it propelled itself across the floor, aiming straight for her with its wide open mouth.

Suddenly she rocked back with a cry of anguish. Edmund struggled to see what was the cause, where her weak spot was.

Suddenly Safie let out a slight scream before thumping hard against the wall and slipping down in a crumpled heap on the floor, completely motionless.

Edmund understood; Safie had noticed one of Lamia's weak spots. The very end of the serpents tail was unguarded by thick scales. Safie had stabbed it through with her dagger so violently that the dagger was now stuck in the floor as well, nailing the serpent to the floor and restricting its movements somewhat.

It looked around for its attacker, but Edmund had predicted its moves and ran to Safie's side just as Lamia plunged forwards, mouth open for the kill.

He raised his one good arm and jabbed up, his sword slicing deeply into the roof of Lamia's unprotected mouth.

She squealed away, deep purple blood gushing from her still open mouth. Edmund raised his good arm above his head, shielding himself from the hot liquid as great drops of it fell all around the room.

Seeing their chance and now knowing its weakness Susan fired two arrows in quick succession into the mouth, and Lucy followed it up by throwing another dagger.

Having run out of weapons Lucy gathered the biggest shards of glass she could find and threw them instead, not stopping to watch as they slithered down Lamia's throat, cutting its insides on the way.

The screeching continued, and just as Peter and the fastest members of his army reached the doorway, Lamia fell back through the broken window.

"Lucy? Su?" Peter called out frantically, having seen Edmund he scanned the room for his sisters.

"Here!" They called out from their position behind his battered desk.

Peter breathed a sigh of relief before calling for Safie and realising Edmund was occupied with someone who was injured.

"Lucy?" Edmund called out, straightening Safie's crumpled unconscious body out and raising her head slightly so she'd be able to swallow the cordial.

"She's just taken a hit to the head, she doesn't need the cordial." Susan said. She had taken a dislike to the girl, for Susan had no imagination and so could not understand that it was Safie's past that prevented her from recovering. She could not imagine what Safie had endured.

"You wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for her." Edmund snarled, tired of Susan's flippant approach to the damaged girl.

Susan was silenced and Lucy scrambled over the debris to Safie who immediately awoke, feeling better and more energised than ever.

Edmund too took a drop of the cordial; no-one knew the cure to the poison in Lamia's fangs and he could feel the numbness spreading over his torso.

Safie'd never had a reason to take the cordial before, and a small part of Edmund hoped that it could cure mental injuries, but that small part was extinguished when he saw her big eyes full of fear at the scene around them.

Edmund rode back ahead of the patrol. As the youngest and the one who'd done the most fighting that day Peter had sent him home early. A patrol of thirty had visited Lamia's lair, making sure there were no other terrible mythical creatures hanging around.

"King Edmund." Came the cry as soon as he trotted into the courtyard. Phillip slowed to a stop and Geladine trotted up to him, forever respectful she bowed her head. But Edmund could tell her heart wasn't in it. She had something important to say.

"What is it?" He asked, worried, but also weary. All he wanted to do was have a bath, eat some food and go to bed.

"It's Safie, Queen Susan has taken her to an institution in Archenland!" She explained desperately.

"What?" He yelled in response, both furious and intensely worried.

Without needing to be told Phillip wheeled himself around and took off, steeling himself for a night of hard riding without respite.


	6. Chapter 6

_Ok so it's been a month since I last updated and I don't even have a long chapter to thank you for bearing with me! I'm sorry; I'll try and do better next time! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it's lovely to know that this story is going down well! Please review this chapter...enjoy!_

Edmund jumped off Phillip and held his arms out to Safie, supporting her as she jumped down beside him without a word. Though she didn't thank him, Edmund did not consider her rude. For him Safie was special, an exception; she could be as rude as she liked and still Edmund would not have minded.

Phillip trotted off to the stables with a quiet goodnight, already thinking happily of the faun who'd remove his saddle and reins whilst Edmund glanced cautiously around, unsure of whether or not he should make it clear that he and Safie were home.

The safest place he could take her was undoubtedly the kitchen; Mrs Beaver was sure to be there and she'd be kind to Safie; mother and fuss her as she did with the royals.

Sure enough, she immediately started clucking around the two and with the responsibility of Safie shifted to Mrs Beaver, Edmund suddenly felt his exhaustion taking hold of him.

He concealed a yawn as Mrs Beaver set a cup of tea down in front of him and stared at Safie, studying her face carefully now that they were in a brighter environment. Though she didn't seem to have been physically harmed, purple bags were underneath her eyes and there was a general air of negativity about her. She was sad, scared, miserable...everything Edmund had tried to prevent her from being. He didn't doubt that she'd be in a much better condition if she had not been sent to that institution.

"They didn't do anything to you, did they?" He suddenly asked her, leaning over his cup of tea as Mrs Beaver bustled around in the background.

He was severely disturbed by what he'd seen at the institution. It was a nightmare place and he would have something done about it if he had not first needed to care for Safie. She was his priority, though he told himself that it was just for now. Once she was improving again and better he could work on all the other things that needed him.

He was worried about what to do with her now that Susan was clearly so adverse to the girl. When Susan truly made up her mind about something, she usually got what she wanted, but then again what Susan wanted was never normally mean, cruel or ignorant.

Safie shook her head and looked at him with her big doe eyes.

"Do you know what always makes me feel better? Baking!" Said Mrs Beaver suddenly, "Safie, come and help me make some nice brownies! I'll let you lick the bowl…" Safie got down from her place at the big kitchen table and started to weigh out the sugar from Calormene as Mrs Beaver directed her.

"They're all waiting in the library." She said to Edmund quietly as soon as Safie was occupied. Edmund nodded his thanks and strode out, his fury rising again as he walked. Overtired, he was much quicker to anger than normal, but his anger wasn't irrational.

The corridors were dark; lit only by a few torches at long intervals and light shone from underneath the library door as Edmund approached. He could faintly hear what he thought to be Susan and Peter's voices and he didn't pause, his anger propelling him forwards without hesitation.

He pushed the door of the library open so forcefully that it slammed back into the wall, leaving a dent where the doorknob had impacted.

Peter was standing behind and leaning forwards on his hands on one of numerous large tables. Lucy sat on the table and Susan stood on the other side of the room by herself, her arms crossed defensively.

The three jumped and were silenced by Edmund's loud entrance, unable to speak for a moment they merely stared at him, assessing his mood and searching his face for his story of the past few hours.

"What the hell did you do?" Edmund asked quietly through gritted teeth, looking only at Susan. They were not exactly words that made entire sense; he already knew what Susan had done but they were the words that came most naturally to him in his fury.

"Don't be so dramatic-" Susan started in annoyance, using her patronising tone that she'd so frequently used back in England.

"You had no right to take her without consulting me." Edmund suddenly roared, angrier than ever before. Peter's eyes flickered between the two; he would normally have intervened and tried to calm the situation, but Edmund was right; it had been a decision for all of them to make and Susan needed to be told.

"She needs help!" Susan replied as Lucy looked uneasily from one to the other. It was unusual for the brothers and sisters to argue like this. They often had little disputes, but they were meaningless, a part of everyday life. But this was different. She could see the rage burning through Edmund and a dangerous look in his eyes that she'd never seen before.

"You had no right!" Edmund bellowed again emphatically, his face reddening as Susan continued to argue with him about something he was clearly right on.

"She cannot function as a member of society if she never-" Susan began rationally.

"Who said she has to be a member of society? As long as she is happy here she stays here!"

"But she's not happy here!" Susan protested, exasperated that he would not listen to her.

Edmund fell silent as she finally got through to him. She was right; Safie was not happy. But then again it was unlikely that a girl who had been through so much would ever truly be happy anywhere, for wherever Safie went her mind and memories would go with her, a constant reminder of misery and fear. "She will stay here until she is happy. She will stay where she is at least loved by me, even if it means she has to stay near people like you!" He said in a much quieter tone.

"Edmund, I think-" A glaring look from Edmund quietened the timid Lucy.

"You disappoint me, Lucy. I'm ashamed of you that you allowed Susan to take her." He said quietly before turning and walking back out of the library. He would go and help Safie and Mrs Beaver make the brownies, and then tomorrow he'd take her for a day-long ride and picnic and then the next day they could go out and see the mermaids in a little boat. Anything to keep her away from Susan.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi everyone, I'm sorry it's taken me almost a month to update; it's just been a hectic few weeks! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter; it's wonderful to have such support for this story! Please review again everyone, and if you didn't last time, then do it this time! Enjoy! _

Aged 18, Peter could not help feeling uncomfortable as he noticed the Calormene Tarkaan staring at Safie across the room. Not much was known about Tarkaan Visirish except that he had only become Tarkaan a few years ago after the assassination of his father; he was in his early twenties and was on a keen search for a wife. Or rather several wives, as was common in Calormen.

"Safie, would you mind going and checking on Edmund? Just make sure he doesn't need anything or perhaps read to him for a while if he's bored." Peter said, desperate to get the 12 year old girl out of the Tarkaan's line of sight.

She immediately abandoned the essay Mr Tumnus had set her on the marital laws of Archenland and half ran out of the room with her child's energy, glad to have a reason to leave the boring essay and to see Edmund who was feeling unwell.

Peter gave a half smile as he watched her. He'd been delighted with the way she'd recovered and flourished under the care of those in Cair Paravel.

"So, the appealing Safie is your ward and under your exquisite care, High King Peter." Tarkaan Visirish suddenly said, pulling Peter sharply out of his reverie. "What, if I may ask, has happened to her family that has rendered her in your care?

"They were killed." Peter said shortly, unwilling to disclose Safie's past to the Tarkaan. A cautious and suspicious part of him feared that the older man would somehow use the knowledge in the pursuit of her that Peter knew would come in the next few years. "We don't often speak of it in the castle for, understandably, it upsets her. I would appreciate it if you would not mention her parents to her."

"Edmund?" Safie called out, knocking on the door and opening it at the same time as she danced in.

At 16 years old Edmund had experienced a growth spurt and frequently changed temper, going from happy to angry in a second. The only person who was spared his constant mood swings was Safie; for whom he had a special place in his heart. Just like Peter, watching her grow and recover had brought him joy.

"You ok?" She asked shortly, shutting the door behind her as Edmund smiled at her despite his sickness.

"Eurgh. I feel too sick to move, and yet I'm too sick to sleep as well!" He cried, throwing his arms out dramatically.

Safie laughed and grabbed a book before pushing him over in the bed and sliding in next to him. He groaned at the sudden movement and she tutted at his dramatics.

She began to read to him expertly, thanks to Mr Tumnus she was being given an excellent education just like the Pevensie children and could read at a level well beyond her years.

Edmund settled further down, waiting for sleep to take over his body as Safie began the tale of knights and battles.

Safie shut the door quietly behind her. She'd had to read for almost an hour before Edmund had fallen asleep, his deep breathing tickling Safie's bare arm.

"Good afternoon, Miss Safie." Safie jumped around in surprise as Tarkaan Visirish spoke directly behind her. Since the slaughter of her village she'd always been slightly jumpier than anyone normal, and it was expected that she always would be. "I hope I find you well and healthy on this beautiful and vibrant day." Safie forced a smile; she'd never been able to understand the point of the eloquent language the Calormene used; it was so much easier and quicker to just get straight to the point.

"Yes, very well thank you." She replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears and trying very hard not to run away; she didn't like talking to strangers. "Unlike poor Edmund." She added with a joking smile, already formulating what excuse she could use to get away.

The Tarkaan bared his teeth in a smile and invited her to walk with him.

"I have been conversing with High King Peter, The Magnificent at great length about your many talents."

Safie blushed at his words and stared uncomfortably at the floor. She disliked compliments; she never knew what to say in reply to them and she felt that they were always a lie for she had no talents; no exceeding beauty or beautiful singing voice, and so each compliment simply made her feel awkward.

"You're too kind." She finally stammered; her cheeks still pink and her gaze still on the floor. Though she did not know it; Safie liked him because he was an attractive man and it is human nature to be drawn to anyone attractive.

"Please enlighten me as to the Narnian historic accounts concerning Calormen, do you know of the 4th Tisroc?"

Safie smiled as she searched for him quickly in her mind, remembering Mr Tumnus' lessons on him.

"He was the big man with 83 wives!" She said excitedly with a giggle as she recalled the portrait of him Mr Tumnus had shown her. The Tisroc had been completely bald with a bushy black moustache and a very large belly.

"Yes, indeed, pray tell me, if I may be so daring as to ask, why does this amuse you so?"

Safie immediately stopped giggling and cleared her throat, trying her best to appear mature and worthy of being the High King's ward.

"Oh, it doesn't." She said abruptly, having tried unsuccessfully to think of an excuse. Mr Tumnus had told her that the Caloremen were very sensitive about their Tisroc's and would not hear a word against them.

"It is good to hear the joyful sound of laughter." Visirish moved on, staring at Safie once again and causing her to duck her head, hiding her face with her long hair.

"Do people in Calormen not laugh?" She suddenly asked with great interest.

"Not as you do, my sweet one." He smiled at her and Safie blushed, averting her gaze from his.

"I wonder, if I may be so bold, if I may present you with a little gift?"

"Oh, no-" Safie automatically began to shake her head violently and backed away from him almost fearfully.

"Please, allow me to bestow this gift upon you or I shall feel that I have deprived you greatly of something that would suit only you..." He looked earnestly at Safie, a jewellery box already in his hands.

She paused for a heartbeat as her young mind tried to think of the best way to say 'no thank you'. The split second was enough for the Tarkhaan to push the gift upon the cringing girl. He opened the box and Safie gazed in amazement as the sunlight glinted off the teardrop ruby necklace and matching earrings.

"Consider it my goodbye gift; I am leaving within the hour to attend to urgent business in my estate, but I hope to return soon and most earnestly desire that you should be wearing these adornments when we next meet." He said, staring at Safie's awestruck face and handing her the box.

"Safie?" Peter suddenly called out as he rounded the corner and stopped stock still as he saw the two. Her gaze snapped to his with a slight jump as she was pulled out her reverie by his sharp voice that compared so obviously to the smooth Tarkhaans. "How is Edmund? did you leave him long ago?" Peter asked, walking up to the two with his gaze flicking between the jewels, Safie and Visirish.

"I – no. He's fine; he's sleeping now. I left him little over five minutes ago." She stammered, gazing at the floor when she noticed Peter's intense and quick gaze.

"What is this?" He asked, holding his hand out for the jewels which Safie obligingly handed to him.

"It is a gift for Miss Safie who I feel has the right complexion to carry off jewels of such colour whilst the women of my country do not." Visirish immediately said, noticing Peter's alert eyes and trying to smooth over the situation.

"Thank you, Tarhaan Visirish, but you are too kind and Safie is too young for such presents." Peter said, holding the box out for the Tarkhaan who merely shook his head earnestly.

"But she is a queen in the making, is she not?" He asked with a smile at the embarrassed Safie who was overjoyed that Peter had taken over the situation. "Now, I am most deeply sorry but I must prepare my things." He said, bowing deeply to the two and walking off before Peter could object anymore.

Peter watched him go momentarily before handing the jewels back to Safie. "Please try not to accept any other gifts from the Tarhaan." He said with a half-smile, trying to hide his concerns.

"I didn't want to take it-" She started to reply, her eyes big with worry at the thought of Peter being angry at her.

"I know, I know." Peter reassured her, giving her a one armed hug. "Just try not to in the future. Now, I believe you have an essay for Mr Tumnus to finish? Why not collect your things from the Great Hall and complete it in your room where you have no distractions?"

Safie made a face but she happily ran off all the same, leaving Peter behind to worry for her benefit and welfare.


	8. Chapter 8

_Wow I'm a bad author! It's been over a month since I updated this story! I'm sorry everyone, I will TRY and be more regular with my updates but I have quite a few stories on the go so I have less time for just one story. Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed last time, please do so again, it makes me happy! Enjoy!_

"Peter?" Safie's timid voice called him quietly. Peter looked up expectantly as Safie's feet appeared in his line of vision.

"Yes, Safie?" He asked with a small smile, glad to have a momentary break from his lengthy letter to Lune who was asking him advice about taxes.

"Tarkhaan Visirish has sent me another gift." She whispered, holding out the jewellery box to him.

Peter put down his quill with a sigh, rubbing his forehead between his thumb and forefinger and unwittingly leaving a small smear of ink. He took the box and opened it, staring momentarily at the diamond and emerald brooch.

"Ok, Safie, thank you for telling me, I'll take care of it." He told her, forcing a smile, after all, it was not her fault that the Tarkhaan had fixed his sights on her.

This was the fifth gift Visirish had tried to give her over the course of a year; for her thirteenth birthday he had sent her her very own horse drawn carriage with two pure white horses to pull it and a coach driver who knew the exact route to Tarkhaan Visirishs' home should Safie "ever want to see the Tarkhaan at any time of the day". But her birthday gift did not end there; inside the carriage were over 20 boxes, filled with exotic chocolates from Calormen, crystallised fruit, dresses, shoes, sparkling jewellery and sweet perfumes.

Peter had furiously sent them all back, presenting Safie with her own talking horse as an extra gift when she saw her disappointment at losing the horses.

She darted off now, running to Edmund's scarcely-used study where he was so engrossed in numerous paperwork he didn't hear her come in.

"Got any further?" She asked, picking up a single piece and trying to make sense of the difficult language. She was a clever girl, but this was legal language, with clauses and hundreds of words she was sure were made up.

"No." He replied shortly, stretching in his chair and screwing his tired eyes shut. "I think I'll have to ask Mr Tumnus to go through it all with me, or perhaps Pete will know the law by heart...do you know where he is?"

"He's busy." She replied; she knew that right now Peter would be writing a please-don't-send-anymore-gifts letter to the Tarkhaan to accompany his gift.

Edmund lowered his head to the desk with a small thump. "I can't just leave it! The sooner it's sorted the better it'll be for those poor people!"

"Why don't you just declare it closed and order them to return everyone to their families?" Safie asked; she had already suggested this to Edmund more than once; as King, he could do practically anything.

"I told you, because it's in Archenland! It's up to Lune!"

"Well then just write to Lune and inform him of it." Safie said, staring out of the window over the sunny apple orchard.

"I already did! Remember; last month..." He replied, picking up his head and wrinkling his nose at the unnecessarily complicated papers.

"No you didn't! You never finished it! You put it away in a drawer somewhere for safe-keeping and had to leave because Susan was insisting you show your face at the dinner..."

There was a long silence as Edmund thought this through before realising that Safie was right.

"Oh, well, I'll just finish that off then..." He said, feeling a little sheepish and annoyed at himself; he had unnecessarily left the poor people in that awful institution for an extra month!

"Oh, I just remembered! Mrs Beaver wanted to know what vegetables you want to eat tonight?"

"Why, what's happening tonight?" Edmund asked, dipping his quill in ink.

"The Duke and his family are coming down."

"Oh, of course...I think I'll manage a few carrots." Safie hopped off her chair and danced through the door. "Wait! I'll probably go to my room once I've finished this; will you go straight there? I need your opinion on something.." Safie nodded from the doorway and went to find Mrs Beaver; Edmund was a fussy eater when it came to vegetables and only ate three kinds; carrots, peas and peppers, which is why Mrs Beaver had to ensure there was at least one vegetable Edmund liked at each formal dinner they had.

Safie ran back through the castle after she'd told Mrs Beaver, instantly throwing herself on Edmund's bed when she opened the door to his room. She lounged on it comfortably whilst Edmund stood at his mirror, trying o decide which shirt to wear.

"I don't know...I think blue suits me more..." He preened in front of the mirror. Safie only rolled her eyes. He'd only become vain in the last year, fussing about his haircut and which clothes looked best on him.

"If your head gets any bigger you won't be able to fit shirts of _any _colour over it!" She laughed, lolling her head over the side of the bed.

Edmund scrunched up the brown shirt that had been causing the conflict in his decision over what to wear and threw it at Safie's upside down face. She giggled and sat up, pulling it off her face and messing up her hair.

"This is important, Safie!" He huffed, looking at the blue shirt again.

"You're meeting an Archenlandian Duke and his family...what's so important about that? You rank above all of them anyway, your Highness." She said, giving a mock bow from her seat on the bed.

"It's important because he's got 2 daughters...one's 17 and the other's 19.." Edmund told her, pulling the blue shirt over his head.

"Soooo...?" Safie asked childishly, letting her body flop down sideways onto the bed. Edmund's bed was the softest in the palace, every time Safie was in his room she could not resist lying in positions that would be uncomfortable in any place other than Edmund's bed.

"So, Su's been on my back about finding a queen...so if I want to keep her happy I have to start looking..." He said, attempting to smooth down his dark hair.

"Are you serious?" She asked, struggling up with a frown. "You're already thinking about marriage?" She demanded incredulously.

Edmund turned to her with a half smile. "Already? You may only be 13, Safie, but you forget that I'm 17...it's normal for someone like me to be married by the time I'm 19.."

Safie was silent for a moment. "I know, but I always saw you as the eternal bachelor... You can't actually be considering marrying one of these girls? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with someone you married when you were 17?" She demanded.

"Hey, I only said I was looking to keep Su happy...I didn't say I was looking to make myself happy..." He said, turning back to the mirror with a comb.

Safie slowly smiled and gave an understanding laugh as realisation dawned on her face. "Good. I don't want you to marry...then you'll be all serious and start frowning all the time." She said, flopping down on her back this time.

"Not all adults frown you know." Edmund said, making different faces at himself in the mirror and inspecting his hair from all angles.

Safie sat up with a gasp that made Edmund whirl around in concern. "What is it?" He asked the wide eyed girl.

She suddenly gave him a big grin and bounced of the bed. "You still owe me a race!" She said excitedly, pulling on his arm in an attempt to force him out of the door.

He pulled away, reaching for the mirror. "Nooo," he whined, "the Archenlanders are due in less than an hour..."

"They're not due for another 2 hours! Come on or you'll owe me another 5 races!" Safie replied, heaving harder.

"But I've just done my hair." Edmund protested feebly as he let her lead him away. In truth he wanted to race her; Safie had a way with animals and won every single race. Another 5 races with him losing against her would be shameful.


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I'm impressed with how much support this story has! And woooooow I updated only 2 weeks ago! I think I'm actually getting better at this! Please review again, it does make me happy! Enjoy!_

"You knew I'd fall in, didn't you?" Edmund accused as the two slowly walked up the steps to Cair Paravel. They were walking slowly because Edmund's wet clothes were a dead weight and, having visualised Edmund falling into the ditch again, Safie was laughing too hard to walk properly.

"I...how could I-" Safie said incoherently as she desperately started to try and gasp in oxygen.

"I'll have to have another blue shirt made now." Edmund said, half cross and half amused. At his words Safie collapsed against the steps, hugging her aching stomach as her laughter turned silent.

Edmund rolled his eyes at her and pulled her up, hauling her up the steps behind him.

After a few moments Safie had recovered enough to gently bump her shoulder into Edmund's arm, just above his elbow (she only reached up to his shoulders). He would've done the same to her but he would've ended up shouldering her in the head, so instead he shoved her gently, sending her veering left as they rounded a corner.

With a suppressed laugh Safie shoved him back, harder this time.

"Ah, here's Edmund!" Peter's voice boomed. The two looked up in surprise to find the other three royals, Mr Tumnus and Mr and Mrs Beaver standing with a cluster of six other people.

For a moment Edmund looked like a rabbit caught in headlights but he soon recovered himself and strode forwards confidently with Safie trailing behind him, half hidden by his body as she tended to do when they met new people.

"Hello. How do you do? I must apologise for my appearance." He said once Peter had introduced him to Duke Torin.

"And this is my ward, young Safie." Peter said to the Duke next; putting an arm around Safie's shoulders he pulled the shy girl out from behind Edmund to shake the Duke's hand.

Then came the introductions to the Duke's wife, Eevette, their eldest son, Yar, their youngest son, Yarin and their two daughters Saysee and Raysette.

Duke Torin was similar to King Lune in character except he was thinner and taller and Eeevette was a tall woman of roughly 50 years of age. She had light brown hair with streaks of white in it whilst her husband's had turned grey. Yar was older than Peter, already in his late twenties whilst Yarin looked even younger than Safie. Saysee was the younger daughter and Raysette was the older daughter of 19. Her beauty was breathtaking and both Peter and Edmund kept darting glances at her. Her hair was a golden blonde and fell just below her shoulders and she had large green eyes and full pink lips.

Safie stared at her, wistfully thinking of her own plain hair. Straight and dark brown it was nothing special; the only special thing about it was that it was so long Safie could sit on it.

Raysette smiled at Edmund as he gestured for her and Saysee to join him and he would show them the rooms they would be staying in. Her smile was like a beautiful ray of brilliant sunlight; for a moment Edmund was dazzled, unable to move.

Safie gave him a subtle prod in the thigh and he immediately continued on smoothly. Anyone who didn't know Edmund well hadn't realised that anything was wrong, but Safie knew him very well.

"I am told you are very fond of horses, Yarin. Perhaps Safie could show you the stables?" Peter asked, raising his eyebrows at Safie; he was trying to encourage her to be more sociable, to not be so afraid of meeting new people.

Now it was Safie's turn to look like a rabbit caught in headlights. Her gaze flicked nervously from Peter's face to Yarin's before she finally swallowed and gave a tiny nod.

"Of you go then, but don't stay too long; lunch is almost ready and I'm sure Yarin would like to freshen up after his long journey." Peter said, beginning to lead the Duchess and Duke to their rooms.

Safie stared at Yarin for a moment before leading him away silently, unable to think of anything to say.

Safie hurried along the corridor to the adjoining rooms Saysee and Raysette had been given that evening. She was in one of her best gowns and her hair was freshly washed for the festivities Peter had thrown in celebration of the Archenlanders' arrival. They were to have a meal, followed by a short play as everyone's food settled and then a dance.

The door to Raysette's room was open and both girls were inside with their servants. Saysee's servant was knotting the ribbon that held Saysee's dress together and Raysette's servant was putting the finishing touches to her hair. With a small brush Raysette was perfecting it from the front as the servant put a few remaining pins in. Making a mistake with one she pulled it out, only for Raysette to scream in pain and whirl round on her servant, hitting her hard on the arm with the wood-backed hairbrush she had in her hand.

"Stupid woman!" She yelled, stamping her foot childishly.

Safie shrank back in the gloom of the corridor but it was too late; Saysee had already seen her.

"Raysette." The younger girl said warningly, pointing at Safie through the doorway.

Raysette froze for a moment at the sight of Safie but she quickly recovered.

"Come here, little one." She coaxed, holding out her hand to Safie who simply shrank away.

"It's ok silly, come here!" Safie had received the best education with the royals but she chose to ignore the patronising way Raysette was talking to her. She walked forward into the room hesitantly.

"Peter asked me to come and lead you to the hall." She said, darting her gaze between the two sisters and the injured servant.

"Saysee's not quite ready yet, but I am so Eliza here is free...would you like her to make your hair as pretty as mine?" Raysette asked, speaking slowly as though Safie was a simpleton.

Safie nodded. She desperately wanted her hair to look like Raysette's. All she'd done with it for this ball was put a light chain underneath it so that it showed on her forehead. Raysette's was beautiful; it had all been gathered into a wily flat bun and had little jewels studded randomly in it.

Eliza guided Safie to the chair Raysette had jumped out of and began to quickly gather it, her expert fingers nimble and gentle.

"Now, what's your name?" Raysette asked, patting a little powder on her cheeks.

"Safie." Safie answered, afraid of moving her head too much in case she disturbed Eliza's work. She ignored the fact that Raysette had forgotten her name mere hours after being introduced to her.

"How long have you lived here, Safie?"

"Four years."

"Four years? You must be very close to the Kings and Queens then!" Raysette said in a tone just as patronising as when she'd invited Safie into the room.

"Yes." Safie answered shortly.

"You must show them your new hairstyle and say that we taught it to you!"

"I will." Safie said after a lengthy pause. She knew what Raysette was up too; by befriending Safie, Raysette would immediately be in the royals favour; after all, Raysette must be a nice person if she was the friend of the royal family's ward!

"Excellent! Oh, your hair does look pretty!" Raysette exclaimed condensingly as Eliza patted Safie's hair gently to make sure it would not all fall. "Are we all ready? Come on then, lead the way, Safie!"

"Thank you." Safie said quietly to Eliza as Raysette strode to the open door.

Eliza gave a small smile and began to clear away the things that had been left out on the dressing table.

Safie gave her hair one last gentle at before closing the door behind her, dreading the celebrations as she always did.


	10. Chapter 10

_Yaaaaay so I'm updating after only 2 weeks and this is an exceptionally long chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I have to say that I do actually love this story...by the way, I just found a typo in the last sentence of the last chapter and I'm terribly sorry! I re-read everything, but obviously human error does happen...anyway, please review again, it makes me happy! Enjoy!_

Safie quickly led the two girls down the few corridors that led to the great hall, the noise gradually intensifying as they approached. The jolly music and laughter echoed around them, but still Safie dreaded their entrance; everyone would turn to look, to stare and assess them.

"You go in first." Raysette said, holding out a hand to stop her sister in her tracks as they stopped a few feet from the doors. "I just need to speak to Saysee for a moment."

Safie knew that the girls simply wanted to make a dramatic entrance and she shrugged her shoulders. She was not a particularly vain girl like Raysette, but she had no wish to be outdone so spectacularly by the two other girls when so many eyes would be upon them.

Standing in the doorway she could see Edmund talking to Duke Torin's eldest son.

"Miss Safie." The faun announced her, his voice booming over the chatter. Edmund had turned eagerly at the start of her introduction but she wasn't who he was hoping for and so his face fell slightly.

Safie was unable to stop her own face from falling as she saw his reaction to her. She had been planning to go and talk to him; to tell him about what she'd seen Raysette do, but she turned away now and walked blindly into the crowd, upset that her best friend preferred a beautiful girl he'd met only a few hours ago to his best friend of 4 years.

"Geladine." She said, throwing herself on her knees about the wolf's neck when she spied her guardian.

"What is it, Safie?" Geladine automatically asked, sensing the girl's distress.

"Nothing." The girl said, her voice muffled in the wolf's thick fur.

She jumped up as the faun began to introduce someone else and saw the profile of Edmund's overjoyed face as Raysette and Saysee glided into the room together, admiring eyes upon them from all around the room.

"What've you done to your hair?" The wolf suddenly asked from by Safie's waist.

"Raysette's maid did it for me." She said, patting her hair self-consciously.

The wolf harrumphed and led Safie to their seats at the main table as the faun closed the doors. There were no other guests to arrive and dinner was served.

"Have you done something to your hair?" Edmund asked with a frown as their paths crossed on the way.

"Yes, why? Do you like it?" Safie asked quickly, patting it yet again.

Edmund shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "It looked better before." He said over his shoulder before Geladine guided Safie away to their seats.

Safie sat beside Geladine and opposite Edmund, two seats down. Mr Tumnus was on the other side of her and of course, Raysette sat opposite Edmund on the other side of Mr Tumnus.

Safie chatted with Reynik, the Faun opposite her and Mr Tumnus for most of the evening. She could not help darting glances at Edmund and Raysette as the two laughed their way through the meal. Mr Tumnus was an interesting faun of great character and Safie knew he would dearly love to talk to Raysette about modern Archenland culture, but the young woman was too busy taking all of Edmund's attention to spare time for anyone else.

"-Safie's hair!" Safie looked up at the mention of her name and clapped eyes on a slightly shocked Edmund as understanding started to dawn on the 17 year olds face.

"Ah yes, I see the similarity! It's very nice!" He declared and Safie had to look away from him as he completely went against what he'd said to her earlier.

Safie had not touched the majority of her meal and Geladine pressed her fur into the girl's bony shoulder comfortingly as fruit and cheese were served. The noise had died down a little now as shouting conversations between several people at once dispersed into individual conversations between two or three people.

Safie leant her head against Geladine's fluffy side as her misery got the better of her.

"Oh, yes that was a terrible time!" She heard the Duke declare loudly in his conversation with Peter, the Duchess, Yar and Susan. "They completely obliterated six villages you know!" He continued in a quieter tone.

"Safie is actually the lone survivor from the village of Wilet." Peter said quietly, nodding his head down the table at the girl.

"My goodness, so she is!" The Duchess declared, craning her neck across the table to look at Safie as she sat up and looked at them all.

"I thought I recognised the name! You wrote to Lune about her, didn't you?" The Duke asked Peter. Half of the twenty-long table was now listening to their conversation. Everyone between Peter and Geladine had stopped their conversations as they realised everyone else was much more interested in something further up the table.

"Absolutely terrible those slaughters." Duke Torin stated again, popping a grape into his mouth. "Of course Wilet was only the fourth slaughter; the first was Slotet. Now, in Slotet these rogue Calormene burned the entire village! It took quite a while to put that fire out I can tell you!"

"I wonder what play we will be seeing tonight. Does anyone know?" Geladine asked loudly as her sensitive ears heard Safie's breathing hitching. No-one spoke about the Archenland slaughters in front of Safie and Safie herself had never spoken of her experience to anyone; not even to Geladine or Edmund.

No-one replied to Geladine's question. Everyone seemed to be frozen in horror.

"But they didn't burn Wilet! I had my men out there for weeks burying the dead!" Geladine gave a low growl at his words that the Duke missed but everyone around heard. Animals on the other side of the room fell silent at the threatening sound their sensitive ears detected. Edmund whipped his head around, looking at Safie with horror on his face. The girl was barely breathing, her gaze unable to leave the Duke's face.

"For such a small village there was a surprising amount of dead bodies." The Duke continued, completely oblivious to the silence that had fallen around the hall.

"Excuse me." Safie gasped as she jumped up, her scraping chair making everyone start. The girl ran from the room quickly without looking at anyone and Geladine quickly jumped down, trotting after her.

The room was now completely silent save for Safie's light footsteps and Geladine's toe-nails clinking against the stone floor. "Excuse me." Edmund muttered after a moment's pause, leaving the table and jogging out after the two.

He knew where she'd gone; she had a special place on the beach that everyone knew about, but few went to for it was Safie's private place where the haunted girl could be by herself. There were many caves along the beach a few minutes' walk west from Cair Paravel. One of Narnia's many miracles, several of the caves had a narrow river of clear sea water running through them with stone sidewalks on either side. The stone lining the riverbed reflected the slightest bit of light and lit up the water from the inside, giving the cave a dark blue glow that lasted till the moon set.

Sure enough as he approached Safie's cave he heard the sound of her sobbing and he slowed, peaking around the corner of the cave's mouth before rushing in. She sat hugging her knees to her chest with her head forward on her arms as sobs shook her body. Geladine was on the other side of her, her fur once again pressed reassuringly against Safie's body.

"Safie?" Edmund called out quietly, unsure how to act.

Safie jumped up and wiped her face frantically with her hands as he slowly walked up to her.

"Are you ok?" He asked tentatively.

"Fine. Peaches and cream." She said, turning away from him to wipe at her face some more. Her hair had come undone in her run from the insensitive Duke and as she stood now a few pins and jewels dropped with a gentle tinkle onto the floor around her feet, a few falling into the water and being carried away by the gentle current.

"You're obviously not." He said. It was so infuriating when a girl would not just say their true feelings. He knew the best way to comfort someone was to liken yourself to them, to make them feel that they were not alone in their misery. "Look...I know how you feel...I-"

"Do you? Do you really know how I feel?" She demanded, whirling around on him angrily. "Did you have to watch your father being murdered? Did you have to watch strange men kill your best friends? Your aunts and uncles? Did you have to listen to the shouts and screams of your neighbours as they were slaughtered? Did you have to hide underneath the floor and listen to the cries of you mother as they stabbed her to death?" She asked him, tears streaming down her face from her puffy eyes. She looked away and clasped a hand to her mouth in an attempt to compose herself. "No. You didn't. You may have been to war. But you know nothing about losing those you love." She told him, her voice breaking with emotions on the last three words.

Edmund stared speechlessly after her as she fled back out of the cave with Geladine at her heels. After a few moments of swallowing and blinking he ran after them.

"Safie?" He called out into the darkness, heading back to Cair Paravel. "Safie?" He received no reply and any audible quiet sobbing was overruled by the softly crashing waves.

Rounding a sand dune he saw the shadows of two figures, a human and a wolf, disappearing into the bright kitchen doorway.

Running the rest of the way it took him only a minute to reach the small crowd that had gathered outside Safie's closed door.

"We don't want to force ourselves in." Lucy told him as Edmund panted up.

Putting his ear to the door Edmund could faintly hear the sound of Safie still sobbing and the gentle murmur of Geladine trying to reassure the girl.

"Safie?" He called out, his hand on the door knob in readiness for the slim chance that she may call him in.

"The poor girl." Mr Tumnus said sympathetically. Lucy pressed a hand to her mouth to stop herself from crying at Safie's sorrow and Mr Tumnus held her other hand in his own comfortingly. No-one liked to see Safie suffering.

Edmund's ear was still against the door and he heard the continuous sobbing stop as Safie said something incoherent to Geladine. The sobbing calmed to quiet hiccups as the door handle turned beneath Edmunds fingers.

The door creaked open slowly and the group held their breath, but it was Geladine's face that appeared instead of Safie's.

"Safie asks only that you let her mourn in peace. She will come out when she is ready." Geladine told them before retreating back into the room, the door closing behind her.

There was silence between the group as each waited for another to speak with instructions; it was not Narnian custom to leave someone alone when they were upset.

"Make them leave." Edmund suddenly said to Peter. For a moment everyone else stood in shock, thinking Edmund was referring to them.

"The Archenlanders." Edmund whispered in annoyance, "Make them leave!" He shouted suddenly when no-one moved.

More silence followed his words before Raysette and Saysee inconveniently walked around the corner.

"Make them leave." Edmund repeated in an emphatic mutter under his breath to Peter. Peter nodded as Raysette trilled out a greeting.

"You can't do that!" Susan gasped in horror, thinking of the political implications.

"Yes he can." Edmund snapped, no longer keeping his voice down.

Peter looked worried as he considered what to do.

"How is the poor little Safie? Daddy didn't mean to upset her...is she in there? Let me-" Edmund stepped in front of the door handle as Raysette reached for it.

"I'm afraid that you will all have to leave." Peter said to the sisters. "Due to unseen personal matters I'm afraid none of us will be available to attend to you."

"Well I'm sure it's not that bad! Honestly we'll be fine amusing ourselves for a couple of-"

"I'll have your carriage drawn up." Peter interrupted shortly.

"Why don't you let me - " Raysette began once again, taking a step and reaching towards the door as though hoping to reach right through Edmund.

"You're no longer welcome here." He said loudly, his gaze hostile and unfriendly.

A long silence followed whilst the two girls blinked several times at them all before realising they were completely serious and quickly walking back down to the great hall to tell their father, their faces perfect pictures of injury.

"Really! It's the middle of the night! Can't you at least wait till morning?" Susan blustered at Peter.

"No!" Edmund exclaimed in horror. "They must leave now! You'd be reacting just like the rest of us if it were Lucy crying in there instead of Safie!" He challenged Susan angrily. "Mrs Beaver, could you fetch a guard please?"

The beaver hurried off at the same time that Susan stalked away in the direction of the great hall and came hurrying back only seconds later having encountered a guard in the next corridor.

"Stay here until the watch changes. No-one is to come here and disturb the inhabitants." Edmund told the dwarf. "Mr Tumnus, may I have a pencil and paper please?" Mr Tumnus drew a tiny notebook and a miniature pencil from a hidden pocket in his scarf and handed them to Edmund. Leaning against the door Edmund wrote – _They're going. Ed_. – in his curly script and pushed it underneath the door.

"I'll be back in the morning, Safie." He called through the door, his voice marred by an emotion that no-one could place.


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry you've all had to wait! I had exams for a while and obviously I had to put them first, but I'm back now! Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter, please review this one toooooo! Enjoy!_

Edmund jolted awake and tumbled out of bed hastily, falling with a painful thump onto the floor in a jumble of sheets and legs.

He jumped up and sleepily fumbled his way to his door, stepping out into the cold corridor in his bare feet he jogged the few steps to Safie's door and walked in, shutting it quickly behind him so that her screams would not wake everyone in the castle.

A torch still flickered on the far wall and Edmund could make out Safie's form in the bed; if it hadn't been for the screaming he would never have guessed her to be having another nightmare.

He shook her gently and she woke up with a gasp. She froze for a moment before burying her face in her bed and trying to hide from Edmund.

"You alright?" He asked, worried that her nightmares had returned. After 6 months of not being woken up by her screams in the night, it was alarming to find that her progress was all for nothing, stopped by the flippant remarks made by the Duke.

"I'm sorry I woke you again, Edmund." Her muffled voice said from amongst the sheets. Her voice was quivering and her shoulders were shaking slightly with the effort it was taking to stop herself from crying.

He sat down on the edge of her bed with a sigh and leant his elbows on his knees.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Safie." He said honestly, thinking of Duke Torin with venom. "We all just want you well."

Safie remained silent and he pulled her up gently by her shoulders, turning her to face him. He smiled sadly at her unhappy face and watched her silently as she brusquely rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. The torchlight was flickering slightly, casting shadows on both of their faces and all around her room, making harmless objects seem almost sinister.

"Where's Geladine?" Edmund asked, realising the wolf had been with Safie earlier.

"I sent her away. I needed to be alone for a while." She explained shortly. She swung her feet over the side of her bed and sat next to him and the two descended into silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

"When I was younger I used to sleepwalk." She said suddenly. Edmund held his breath; he'd very rarely heard her speak of her past. "I nearly drowned myself once by walking into the river, but my dad found me in time and took me back in to the house. He said he'd always protect me. But then he didn't even protect himself; so how could he protect me?" It wasn't really a question; just a sad observation that Safie had made. Edmund forced himself not to shout for joy that she'd mentioned her father without sobbing.

"He did protect you. He built that hole we found you in so that you could hide; so that you could enjoy your life." Edmund replied after a moment. "And the best thing you can do is just that."

"It's not enough though, is it? My family are gone; I have no protection in the world. Everything I own is from you and your family, Ed. Not mine." She said sadly.

"I cannot make promises on my sibling's behalf, but I promise to protect you and take over the role of your family. It's what we've all been doing for years, it just hasn't seemed that way to you." Edmund said with a sad smile.

Safie too smiled sadly as she realised he was right. "Have they really gone?" She asked suddenly, swallowing loudly, her voice sounding better already.

Edmund nodded and Safie's face became wondrous. "I can't believe Peter would actually do that for me!"

Edmund stayed silent; she didn't need to know it'd been he who'd done it for her.

"Did Susan protest?"

"Of course she did." Edmund replied with a snort of laughter. "You must always think of how we appear in the political world, Edmund." He mimicked her high voice badly and Safie giggled. Edmund grinned as she started smiling again and stood up, crossing his arms and pouting his lips as Susan did when she was annoyed. "What do you think you're doing? Fun? You can't have fun! You're 12 now; you're old enough to know that it's all work and no play!" Safie crossed her legs and giggled some more; Edmund frequently imitated Susan who was the most serious of his siblings. Edmund too began to laugh and gave up his impersonation, unable to keep up the high pitched voice whilst laughing. He held out his hands and helped Safie climb to her feet on the bed and then jump off onto the cold floor.

"Come on, let's go raid the kitchen and have a midnight feast." He suggested, taking her hand and leading her out of her room. The corridor floor was even colder than Safie's and the two ran quickly, trying to spend as little time as possible standing on one foot.

Edmund pulled ahead of Safie slightly and stopped around a corner, jumping out with a stage whisper roar as she emerged around the corner. She squealed and jumped before bursting into giggles with him and clamping a hand to her mouth as she risked waking up half the palace.

They ran into the kitchen and stood at the numerous cupboards, hopping from foot to foot as they searched for the food they wanted.

Edmund pulled a fruit cake down from the top cupboard Safie couldn't reach and she uncovered a plate of Mrs Beaver's famous ginger snaps hidden behind a huge bowl of fruit.

Edmund grabbed a bunch of grapes as well and sat down at the kitchen table whilst Safie still rooted for food.

Taking out two goblets he poured wine into them, adding two scoops of honey to sweeten Safie's just the way she liked it.

Safie emerged from deep within a cupboard holding a loaf of bread under one arm, a pot of jam underneath the other and a small plate of leftover cold ham in her only free hand.

"Mrs Beaver's going to kill us." Edmund said, only half joking. Safie smiled and dug into a small slice of fruit cake with Edmund pretending he wasn't watching her. Though she now ate at every meal, she was still slightly too thin for her age and only ever ate small amounts. Edmund stared at her blatantly as he wondered if Safie would ever truly be healthy; if she'd ever be normal or if she was too affected by her past.

"What?" She asked him, swallowing her mouthful.

"Just thinking about what to get you for Christmas." Edmund said quickly; it was not a complete lie; he had been thinking about it a few weeks ago.

"I'm more concerned about what to get you." She replied, finishing off the slice of cake. "What are you supposed to get a king who has everything?"

"The one thing he doesn't have. A pair of warm socks for times like this." Edmund replied cheekily, looking at his feet that he was resting on the seat of his chair to keep them off the floor. Safie laughed; she was in exactly the same position with her knees to her chest.

"Fine. Warm socks it is, but then that's what I want too."

"Fine." Edmund replied with a happy smile.

%*$&£

"Here, Mr Tumnus, look at this." Peter called out quietly as Mr Tumnus walked down the hall towards Peter a few hours later.

Looking through the kitchen doorway he saw Safie and Edmund sitting on opposite sides of the table. Each was slumped forwards with a cheek resting against the wood and their arms stretched over the table in their unconscious states, the remains of their feast lay haphazardly over the table.

Peter crossed the room and banged a wooden spoon against the kettle a few times, making both jump as they woke up and looked sleepily around, trying to focus on their surroundings.

"Bit early to be eating breakfast already isn't it?" Peter joked, biting into a biscuit.

The two only blinked sleepily and Peter laughed, giving Safie a side hug to show his joy that she was ok. "You better get out of here before Mrs Beaver discovers who's eaten the biscuits she was saving! Go on; I'll clear up."

The two smiled at him gladly and staggered off back to bed.

"I saw you sending back Tarkhaan Visirish's newest gift, I must ask if that was wise, my King?" Mr Tumnus asked softly as they watched the two disappear down the hall. "You no longer run the risk of insulting him; I am sure you have done it!"

"And I reminded him that he was insulting me by obviously trying and failing to seduce her and that as my ward, she is under my protection and can barely move, let alone be courted without my consent." Peter said calmly, he had thought the situation through and read up on the laws of Narnia; he knew what he could say to remind people that Tarkhaan Visirish was not the only one who had been offended.

"You really disapprove of the match so strongly?" Mr Tumnus asked worriedly.

"His persistence with the gifts tells me he will not give her up easily and I am prepared to consistently batter him down until he realises that I will not let him have her." Peter said, biting into another biscuit and putting away what remained of the fruit cake.

"Why ever not? Are you worried that he cannot love her? Surely his persistence alone is testimony to his feelings for her."

"How ever could he love her when they have met only once? She is a very pretty girl, but even now that she is much better she is still too fragile for someone like the Tarkhaan to handle and to precious to us for me to allow her to marry someone who will then go on to wrongfully marry many more women, indeed, how do we know he does not now have several wives?" Peter asked, slightly surprised that Mr Tumnus did not share his feelings on the subject.

"I suspect it is not just that, tell me, what else is troubling you?"

Peter scooped away a few crumbs from the table and turned to Mrs Tumnus, revealing the true reason as to why he would never allow the Tarkhaan to have Safie. "I find it troubling that he looked at her in such a way when she was so young, and there is something I do not trust about him. But I only have gut instinct to go on."


	12. Chapter 12

_Ok people, LOVE ME! This is without doubt the LONGEST chapter I've ever written and I have to admit, I'm feeling pretty proud of myself! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, please do so again! It's taken me a while to decide exactly what to do with this chapter and I'm not sure about some parts of it, so please let me know if you feel like some of it's a bit forced or something. Enjoy!_

Safie and Lucy's birthday's were in the same week with the two turning 15 and 16 respectively. In celebration, Susan had organised to have guests from Archenland and the Lone Islands down for a series of balls and evening entertainment.

Safie smiled happily as her new dresses were delivered; watching as the four fauns who brought them in laid them carefully on her bed. Her early birthday present from Peter had been 7 ball gowns and 7 day dresses to wear each day and night of the week-long celebrations that were being held partly in her honour.

She clapped her hands excitedly when Lucy's head popped around her door and the older girl joined her, stroking the netting that covered the dress on top of the pile.

"Which one will you wear first?" She asked as Safie thanked the retreating faun.

"I don't know!" Safie said, excited and a little lost as to which would be the best kind of dress to wear to the first ball (it could not be the nicest dress for it was not her birthday until the next day).

"Well, why don't you try them all on; put on a show for me! Then we can choose which one you can wear each night!"

"Ok!" Safie replied happily, setting about unwrapping the beautiful and expensive dresses.

Taking the deep red one off the top she retreated behind her folding screen, flinging the dress she had been wearing over the top.

"Do you know what time people will start arriving?" She called out to Lucy.

"I think Peter spotted two ships approaching about an hour ago, so the Lone Islanders should only be another hour or so, but a few of the Duke's and Barons from Archenland aren't expected until tomorrow due to a previous engagement.."

"Oh, what a shame! Anyone we know?"

"Baron Edgar and all 7 of his family, the Marquis and his wife, and the Earl of Hustot."

"Oh, no! I was looking forward to seeing Jennifer again!" Safie called out, referring to one of Baron Edgar's daughters.

Emerging from behind her screen Lucy gave a little gasp of awe, looking Safie up and down. The dress made her look more like a woman than she ever had in her life. "You look amazing!" She gushed, holding back a smile as Safie's cheeks turned a little pink at the praise. "Try the other one's quickly! Then we'll decide and get ready for the ball!"

A quiet knock at the door alerted made the two turn.

"You look wonderful, Safie." Peter said from the doorway, making the young girl give a self-conscious smile; Peter very rarely noticed anyone's appearance. "I just wanted to let you know; Duke Ronan and a small company have arrive early from Archenland; I know you're getting ready now, but just be prepared to say hello if you see them out and about..."

"Ok." Lucy said, waiting eagerly for Peter to leave so that they could continue with Safie's dresses. With a quick nod he left, running a hand through his hair worriedly as soon as he was sure no-one was watching him.

"Peter! The Lone Islanders are estimated to be less than an hour away." Mr Tumnus said, running down the hallway and joining the stressed king.

"Tarkaan Visirish has arrived with Duke Ronan from Archenland." Peter muttered to him, simultaneously trying to remember the names of everyone that'd arrived so there'd be no awkward instances where he couldn't remember someone's name.

"I should not think one more will be too much - "

"Tarkhaan Visirish." Peter said slowly, interrupting Mr Tumnus. Understanding suddenly dawned on the fauns face; in all the excitement of the preparations he had forgotten about Peter's misgivings.

"How do you intend to handle it?" Mr Tumnus asked, already thinking through how he himself would handle it just in case Peter asked his advice.

"There is nothing I can do; I cannot simply throw him out unjustly; I risk offending the Archenlanders as well as all of Calormene...we must welcome him as we would any other guest, but carefully monitor his movements and ensure he stays at a distance from Safie." Peter muttered, nodding to the occasional guard or servant who hurried past, preparing guest rooms and putting up decorations.

"Shall I assign a guard to her?"

"Yes, but ensure they know that they are to remain at a distance and anonymous to both her and Visirish. We don't want to raise anyone's suspicions, not even Safie's."

"As you wish." Mr Tumnus bobbed his head and trotted off, planning to consult Edmund as to which members of the guard to use.

"Hello! It's so good to see you again!" Peter gushed as he ran into the company with Duke Ronan around the next corner. "Do please excuse my siblings not being here to welcome you; I'm afraid they're all preparing for the ball! Have you been shown your rooms?"

$"£^%&*

"Come on!" Lucy called over her shoulder as she rushed eagerly down the stairs.

"I'm coming!" Safie called back out, hopping along as she pulled her shoes on. She hurried after Lucy, holding onto her hair to ensure nothing moved.

"You look fine!" Lucy insisted impatiently from the bottom of the stairs before checking her own hair one last time.

The two girls hurried along, exchanging greeting with numerous guards positioned throughout Cair Paravel. It had taken them considerably longer than they had planned to get ready; Lucy had struggled to get her crown to sit right on her hair and Safie'd had to abandon her hopes of wearing a metal headband over her hair and had instead braided it over her shoulder, weaving a few little white flowers into it.

"Ready?" Lucy asked, stopping in front of the closed doors. She'd decided the two should walk in together so that Safie would not feel as embarrassed as she always did when entering a ball. Safie nodded and the bears opened the doors, the minotaur inside booming out their names.

Everyone turned to look at them and applaud the two girls they were here to celebrate. Lucy simply smiled angelically, used to it all now, but Safie ducked her head, her cheeks flushing pink at it all; no matter how often she entered a ball she'd never get used to the stares.

She and Lucy had decided she should wear the purple dress; the one with the off-the-shoulder sleeves that showed off Safie's slim frame and didn't clash with Lucy's pale pink dress.

Safie breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of Geladine to her left and immediately went over, hugging the wolf whom she had not seen all day. "You look wonderful." Geladine said in her usual calm way. "Is this one of Peter's presents that I've been hearing so much about?"

"Yes." Safie responded with a smile, getting back up and giving a mock modelling twirl.

"Very nice." Geladine barked, her teeth bared in a wolf's grin.

"Safie." A voice called out.

"Edmund!" She responded almost immediately, her face lighting up as she spun around and caught sight of him making his way over. The two embraced quickly before putting on their professional faces as two young men came over.

"It's good to see you!" Edmund insisted, shaking both of their hands.

Safie tried to maintain her smile as they each kissed the back of her hand, all the while wondering what on earth their names were and whether or not she should recognise them.

"I hear you and Lady Sefara are now engaged! How wonderful; do you plan on marry soon?" Edmund continued, swiping two goblets of wine from a passing servant and handing one to Safie.

"Indeed! The wedding is 2 months to this very day!" The shorter man said, a smug little smile on his wide face.

Safie became distracted by a flapping movement in the background and quickly excused herself from the conversation, running and hugging the honourable Gwendolyn, the daughter of viscount Curzon and viscountess Katarina of Avra, the Lone Island most renowned for its vineyards.

"When did you arrive? How long have you been here? Why didn't you come up to my room?" Safie asked quickly.

Gwendolyn laughed a little at the sudden firing of questions. "We only arrived a half hour ago! We literally only had time to go to our rooms and change!" She took Safie's goblet from her and thrust it into her surprised but obliging father's grip. "Come on, let's dance!" She pulled Safie to the centre of the hall where about 20 couples were dancing the Galliard. "Ok, you be the boy, I'll be the girl!"

"What? No, you be the boy! I only know the girls part!" Safie insisted.

"Oh, fine! Though I don't really know it either!" The two picked up half way through the dance, automatically bursting into giggles when Gwendolyn became confused between the two parts; one second leading Safie and the next twirling under her arm.

Edmund smiled and laughed a little at what he saw, indicating to Marquess Robin (the heir of the Duke of Normed) to join him in interrupting the two girls.

Standing precariously close to the two tangled girls Edmund bowed a little and held out his hand, his laughing eyes on Safie. Marquess Robin did the same to Gwendolyn and the two girls took their hands without hesitation, already sporting a few bruised toes from their short attempt at dancing.

"Tomorrow you turn 15." Edmund said with a smile.

"Indeed. I'll be old enough to begin learning about politics!" She said with a smile. "Or, as Susan would say; to speak in exactly the right way to make everything _think_ I know about politics!" She lowered her voice sinisterly on the final word, making Edmund laugh out loud.

"You mean she hasn't been training you already? You've been let off the hook!" He insisted, twirling her around. She laughed and suddenly stared at his face with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Edmund, there are no surprises tomorrow are there...?" Edmund turned his face away, his face adamantly expressionless "You know I hate surprises! Please tell me you haven't planned any surprises!" She insisted, breaking through his facade.

"All right, I promise, no surprises."

"Good." She said with a smile, satisfied with his answer. The dance ended and the two bowed and curtseyed to each other before going their separate ways as different guests caught their eyes and smiled them over for greetings and polite exchanges.

For over two hours the two mingled, their paths never crossing until at the end of the Lindsay Hop dance when they found themselves back to back, having just finished dancing with different partners. Both were breathing a little heavily from the dance and Safie had to tuck a few strands of loose hair behind her ear, checking her flowers were still in place when she turned to Edmund with a warm smile.

"Meet me outside in 10 minutes." He said quietly. "I have something to tell you about Susan." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that made Safie quickly nod yes. As Edmund disappeared she thanked her partner and made her excuses as to why she could not have the next dance with him, disappearing quickly outside for some air and hoping Edmund would come out much sooner than in 10 minutes.

Small groups, couples and lone figures were dotted about all over the lower floor of Cair Paravel; the hall was almost empty save for the dancing couples and a few of the older generation who preferred the comfortable chairs set out in the hall to the stone benches in the gardens or the wall of the fountain in the courtyard.

She chose the balcony that looked out over the porch and beach for it was the one that offered the greatest cool breeze. A torch was flickering on either side of the doors and a few fire flies were flitting around, their gentle buzz silenced by the gentle murmur and trails of music coming out after her.

"Miss Safie." A voice said quietly from behind her. She turned quickly and smiled at Tarkhaan Visirish's shadowy form.

"Tarkhaan Visirish!" She exclaimed, a little happier than usual from all of the wine. She bobbed a curtsey, trying her hardest not to wobble. "I did not know you were here! Forgive me, if I had know I would have sought you out - "

"Not at all." He insisted, holding up a hand to silence her apologies. "This is after all a celebration for you; it is completely understandable that you have many people to see and talk to!"

"It's not just for me." She replied, ducking her head under his intense gaze. "It's mainly for Lucy; she favours these formal balls whereas I prefer normal Narnian celebrations. That's what we're having tomorrow. You are coming, are you not?" She checked.

"I would not miss it for all the treasure in Calormene." He responded, a smile playing around his lips. "And believe me, dear lady, there is rather a lot of treasure in Calormene." Safie smiled at his words, seeing his face change slightly as he stared at her.

"I have seen many faces over the years." He suddenly said, still staring at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. Embarrassed, she quickly turned her eyes away and looked out over the beach. "But yours is as the sun; one shouldn't stare too long." Safie blushed and ducked her head, brushing her hair behind her ear as it flopped forward. "My flattery makes you uncomfortable?" Visirish asked with his teeth bared in a smile.

"Safie?" She whirled around at Edmund's voice.

"King Edmund!" Visirish exclaimed in a much louder and more exuberant voice than he had just been using.

"Tarkhaan Visirish. Long time no see." Edmund said as the two bowed to each other. "Are you well."

"Very much so. I trust you and your family are all in pristine health?"

"We are; thank you." Edmund said smoothly, his suaveness contrasting with what Safie could be forgiven for interpreting as nerves, a slight jumpiness and twitch to the way Visirish now moved.

"I am glad of it, do please excuse me, I fear I have been away from my company for too long..."

The Tarkhaan walked out swiftly, with a stiffness to his legs that made Safie think he was uncomfortable.

"Are you close to Visirish?" Edmund asked as soon as the older man was out of earshot.

"No." Safie said after a short pause. It was not a lie, she knew nothing about the Tarkhaan, but for some reason she found herself holding back and not telling Edmund about the many gifts Visirish had sent her. If Peter hadn't told Edmund, then there must be a very good reason for it.

"What did he want?"

"I don't think he wanted anything." Safie said. Her cheeks reddened at her lie and she turned her back on Edmund, leaning tiredly on the balustrade. "I think he saw me waiting out here and decide it'd be rude if he didn't at least say hello – we never got further than the usual niceties."

"Oh." Edmund gave a little laugh and leant over the balustrade with her, the two silently watching a few of the guests below in the courtyard for a few moments. "I am worn out with civility." He suddenly declared, his gaze never moving from the courtyard, but Safie saw his tiredness in his face. "Talking all day with nothing to say." He said in a voice only slightly louder than a whisper, half of his face cast into deep shadows and the shadows on the other half constantly moving in the flickering torch light.

"Hey, it's ok." Safie suddenly said, giving him a one armed hug, worried by how aged his face had suddenly become.

"No, I'm sorry, Safie, I don't mean to ruin your birthday - " He protested, jolting out of his reverie.

"It's not my birthday! You know I don't like these formal balls; my birthday will be much more fun." She said; forcing a smile but secretly dreading the attention she would receive.

"That's right." Edmund said, a genuine but tired smile on his face. "Then may I please reserve the first dance of tomorrow night with you, my Lady?" He suddenly asked, snapping his back straight and his heels together he held a hand out to her and bowed slightly, a teasing grin on his face.

Safie gave a little laugh and put her hand in his, elegantly curtseying as she had been taught. "You may. But you can't hold me to it! You know how confusing these things get; we won't even know it's the first dance till it's too late!"

Edmund too laughed and they both went back to staring over the edge of the balcony.

"If you feel so tired, say you're suffering from a headache and go to bed." She said, watching him with concern. He gave her a tight smile, forcing himself not to do as she said.

"No, I must stay here. It's the first night of the celebrations; Susan would kill me if I just disappeared."

"Well she doesn't need to know! Look, there she is in the porch!" With a pointed finger she guided Edmund's gaze to a small group of people, one of whom was indeed Susan, even from such a distance Edmund recognised her trilling laughter. "Go now and she won't see you; for all she knows you could have disappeared with some guests; everyone's all over the palace now so she won't be keeping track of people.."

"I think I will..." Edmund mused, weighing up his chances of actually managing to escape to his room unnoticed by Susan; with all of the guests littering the palace he'd be stuck talking to many, many people along the way. "What about you? I know you hate balls..."

"Well, if you're going back to your room then I think I will too; that way we can walk along looking like we're deep in discussion about something with each other and we're less likely to get stopped along the way..." She said, her heart lifting at the prospect of some privacy.

"Right. Let's do it!" Edmund said, checking Susan was still on the porch before they left.

"What should we talk about?" Edmund asked with a forced smile, turning his whole body towards Safie and practically walking sideways so that they looked to be in a deep discussion.

"I don't know. We could talk about how you never know what to talk about as soon as you need to disguise the fact that you don't know what to talk about."

"That was unnecessarily complicated." Edmund said; a genuine smile on his face.

"Everything in life is unnecessarily complicated. Don't make eye contact!" She said through her teeth as Edmund almost got waylaid by a group of Duke's, giving the same fake smile as Edmund had only moments ago.

"Do you think the hallways will be particularly crowded?" He asked, quickly glancing around the main hallway as they left the great hall, finding it far less crowded than they had expected.

"I hope not! Ours definitely shouldn't be, oh no, what'll we do if there are people in our corridor? We won't be able to slip into our rooms without them noticing..." She suddenly realised with undisguised horror; she really just wanted some alone time.

"It'll be fine." Edmund responded through gritted teeth as they turned the corner. "Quick, run!" He exclaimed, pulling at Safie's upper arm as they realised the next hallway was empty, and the next, and the next. The two reached their rooms without encountering anyone and bade each other goodnight with relief, feeling delightfully naughty at having achieved something that would really annoy Susan.


	13. Chapter 13

_Wooooow I'm updating after only a week! I have to say I'm growing the love this story...I hope you all are too! I'm afraid this isn't a particularly long chapter, but, you know, nobody's perfect! Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, please do so again, and people who haven't already, you definitely should! Enjoy!_

"Miss Dupoire!" A deep voice called out quietly after Safie.

"Safie, please." She insisted for the thirtieth time. Visirish gave a small smile and said her name almost tentatively, falling into step beside her.

"I am sorry, it's just that I was always raised to show respect by calling everyone by their surname." He explained to her almost apologetically.

Safie smiled at his words; he respected her. That was something many women could only dream of.

"Well, I have marked your respect for me and now insist that you call me Safie." He smiled at her words and there was a short pause between the two.

"Would you like to dance, Safie?"

"I would love to!" She replied instantly despite having only just stopped dancing.

"I am sorry that this is not a jive. That is your favourite, is it not?" He asked, taking her offered hand and leading her to the large section of the field that had been designated as the dance floor.

"It is! How did you know?" She asked, momentarily stopping in surprise at his knowledge of her. She cast her mind back momentarily but knew that she had not told him so in one of her letters.

"I noticed how your eyes light up every time one begins to play."

Safie smiled at him on the outside, but inside her mind was whirring; no-one had ever noticed her favourite dance because of her eyes lighting up; only Edmund and Lucy knew and that was because they'd all had a lengthy conversation about it.

She suddenly gave him a genuine smile which he returned as she realised how romantic it all was.

"Yes, the jive has always been my favourite dance." She said, being twirled underneath his arm.

"And why is that?"

"I just think it is the most fun. It's impossible to be sad whilst doing a jive." She replied, trying to smile through her lie. In actual fact it was her favourite because she remembered her father teaching it to her and dancing one with her when she was very young, but she lied so as to preserve the moment; she did not want to turn what had been romantic into something sad.

"Yes, I suppose it is..." Visirish mused. "Yes, you're right, I've never been miserable whilst doing a jive."

"What is your favourite dance?" She asked in return, unable to think of anything else to say.

"The waltz." He answered immediately.

"Oh." Was all she could think to say in her surprise. "I'm sorry, that's just not the answer I expected...why is it?"

"I think it is a very romantic and dreamy dance – it makes me think of Narnia." The two were forced to stop their conversation for a moment to apologise to an Archenlandian Baron and his wife as the two pairs crashed into each other.

"Are you alright?" Visirish asked Safie worriedly.

"Yes, yes I'm fine." She responded with a hesitant smile, beginning to see the smiling Tarkhaan in a slightly different light. "So, are you a particularly dreamy person?"

"What do we have if not dreams?" He asked her with a slight laugh.

"Indeed." She replied after a slight pause. The two separated and bowed and curtseyed to each other as the dance ended, all the while staring into each other's eyes.

"Tarkhaan Visirish!" A voice called out, making them both break eye contact and search the crowd for the caller.

"Please, excuse me." He said to her regretfully, waiting until she nodded her consent for him to leave before walking off and shaking hands with a young man Safie did not recognise. She was immediately snapped up for the next dance by a young elm dryad. This dance was much more upbeat and like the jive that she so loved, and she screamed with laughter as the dryad whirled her around, desperately trying to hang on to her headband of interwoven daisies as it threatened to fall off from the speed of her spinning.

The faun's stopped trilling their flutes momentarily to signal the end of the dance before starting with one that was even faster. Too exhausted and out of breathe to continue Safie curtseyed to the smiling dryad before leaving, the leafy smell the dryad emitted still clinging to her clothes and hair.

Walking towards the beverages table she noticed Edmund lying quietly in the grass, watching the dancing couples with an odd look on his face. Changing direction she collapsed on the ground next to him with a smile. "This is my idea of fun!" She exclaimed, swiping his goblet of wine and draining it.

"I don't think I've ever seen you dance so much!" He teased, watching the flickering light the bonfire emitted play across her face. Her cheeks were red from her exertions and her hair had come completely undone and hung in tangled knots by her cheeks. Her eyes were feverishly bright from the dancing, the wine and her happy mood and Edmund laughed at how different the occasion had made her compared to the day before. "So, I trust you're enjoying your birthday?"

"Absolutely. It's wonderful." She declared, flopping back onto the soft grass and staring at the stars momentarily before jolting back up. "Do you think everyone else is? I hope - "

"Don't worry about other people!" Edmund exclaimed in horror. "It's _your _birthday, not theirs!"

"I know, but because it is my birthday it is my duty to ensure people have what they want..."

"Perhaps when you are the hostess, but you are one of three hostesses here, and if you're counting hosts too then you are only one in five...let the rest of us worry about the happiness of others."

Safie beamed at him and lay back down, still trying to calm her racing heartbeat. Above her Edmund nodded subtly to a flute playing faun and he began to lead his friends in finishing the dance quickly.

The music stopped for a long time and Safie sat back up, wondering what on earth was going on.

"It's time for your surprise." Edmund whispered, jumping up and quickly pulling her up too.

"What? No!" She exclaimed, trying to resist him as he pulled her forwards into the now empty dance floor. "Edmund you said no surprises! You said - "

"I lied." He said simply, holding tightly onto her arms to make sure she didn't move. Fauns were gathering in a large circle around them, each having abandoned his work position or dancing partner. "Stay!" He ordered her before bolting, managing to get outside of the circle just before the fauns completely closed ranks, each grinning at the shocked and slightly alarmed Safie.

A single beat started and the fauns stamped simultaneously and suddenly Safie knew what they were doing; it was the May Dance that they did every year. It was Safie's favourite of all the Narnian dances because of the pure joy in the music, the simple yet complex routine and the good harvest it hoped to encourage.

She turned in a circle, watching happily as they began to circle around her in time to the merry tune before breaking away and weaving in and out of each other in a complex pattern. The music had picked up now, trilling flutes and lyres accompanying the beat that the watching guests had begun to clap as well.

She laughed delightedly as a faun beckoned her to join him in the large circle they'd gone back into, deliberately leaving a space for her.

Holding onto the hands of the fauns on either side of her they guided her left, then right, then left, spinning round with a kind of hopping gallop.

The circle broke off into small ones of only 5, turning left, then right and then left before each becoming a short line and weaving in and out of each other.

Safie allowed herself to be guided; she simply lost herself in the fun of it all.

The dance was over all too quickly, but she knew by her erratic heart rate that it had gone on for ages.

As the fauns began to filter back to their original occupations they bowed to her with smiles; the applause of the guests in the background. Safie curtseyed back to them all and began searching for Edmund, throwing her arms tightly around his neck when she finally found him.

"Thank you." She said simply; knowing that Edmund would understand the depth of her gratitude.

The May Dance was only performed once a year and Edmund knew it was Safie's favourite of all the Narnian beasts' dances, but she had been ill that year and had been forced to miss out. Now, for the first time in history, the dance had been done twice in a year and a human had taken part.

Tarkhaan Visirish glided over to the applauding Peter as the dancing started up once again, Safie dancing with Edmund this time as a small token of her gratitude for what he had organised for her.

"I have never seen her so happy." He said slyly.

"Indeed." Peter replied tightly, immediately on his guard. He had seen the Tarkhaan dancing with Visirish earlier and spoken to Mr Tumnus, alarmed that the guard he had ordered to be put in place had allowed the two to get so close. "I am glad that we were able to make her so happy at least on this one day."

"I wonder if Safie will be happier in an environment where she is the one giving the orders, an environment made to yield to her every need." Tarkaan Visirish said with a sideways glance at Peter out of the corner of his eye.

Peter turned to look at him sharply; glad that Safie could not marry unless he gave her his consent.

"Safie's every need is provided for here. I have never seen her as happy as she has been recently."

"Perhaps. But others can make her constantly happy; it is perhaps a little selfish of you to deprive her of these opportunities." Visirish counter argued.

"Safie is my ward and under my protection." Peter responded sharply. "When I find someone I deem able to cater for her every need, then I shall release her from my protection." He stalked off, trying to keep up a smiling appearance for the sake of Safie and all of the guests, but inside he was seething.


	14. Chapter 14

_This really isn't a long chapter, in fact it's shamefully short, but it's pretty important and I don't want o include anything else in it! Thanks for all the support for this story, I think it's very important that psychological issues are made more prominent in literature, unfortunately I'm only an amateur writing an amateur story, but if I'm one day a famous writer I will definitely write about the impact of major events on people's psychological wellbeing! Enjoy!_

Tarkhaan Visirish knocked for Safie the following morning after breakfast as she had asked him to. They were going to take a walk amongst in the gardens together and Visirish had promised to help Safie memorise the names of any plants they came across that she did not already know.

"Are you sure that you do not wish to join the picnic?" He checked again when the two emerged onto the lawn.

"No. I find I'm never hungry between meals. If I sit down at a picnic I'm afraid I feel obliged to eat food I do not want.." She explained, putting her parasol up as the hot sun immediately began to beat down on the pair.

"Oh, please, allow me!" He insisted, taking her parasol from her and holding it carefully above her head.

"Oh, thank you." She answered with a smile, looking down at the floor shyly.

"The Tarkhaan seems very keen to talk to Safie...every time I see him these days he's either with her or seems to be looking for her...I wonder what they have in common." Edmund mused to Lucy, dipping his strawberry into the bowl and covering it with sugar as he watched Safie and the Tarkhaan walking along the grass slowly, deep in conversation with their backs to everyone else picnicking.

Truly the picture of a Calormene gentleman, the Tarkhaan was kindly holding Safie's parasol for her, giving them both the cool shade they needed. He seemed very concerned with Safie's well being to Edmund, constantly checking that she had enough wine, or that she'd had enough food or that the meat was to her liking.

"Well, I expect they found lots in common with each other in their letters and are now expanding on their common interests." Lucy replied languidly, not even opening her eyes or moving from her position underneath the parasol; it was such a hot day many of the guests had opted to stay inside in the cool palace rather than take a picnic in the hot sun.

"They've exchanged letters?" Edmund asked in disbelief, thinking back over the years and trying to pinpoint a time when he had seen Safie writing out letters or had told him she had a correspondence with the Tarkhaan.

"Oh yes, for years now! He kept sending her gifts, loads and loads of them, but Peter kept sending them back. Did you now know this?" Lucy asked with surprise.

"No...Safie never told me." Edmund said hesitantly, frowning over at the two now.

"Perhaps it just slipped her mind." Lucy excused Safie after a pause, sensing Edmund's upset.

"But she told me they're not close..." He shot back, trying to figure out why Safie would have lied to him.

"She didn't seem particularly bothered by his attempts to woo her. But then again you can't always tell with Safie..." Lucy trailed off, her hand groping all along the blanket they were lying on as she searched for her fan. Without moving any other part of her body she began to fan herself tiredly, her hand flopping about rather than actively fanning.

"He was wooing her? Why did she not tell me?" Edmund demanded incredulously, still frowning over at the two and trying to read their body language. Were they being affectionate? How close exactly were they? Was the Tarkhaan's arm to close to her? He was so consumed by the sudden revelations that he had not even noticed Lucy moving beside him.

"Edmund calm down, it's too hot to be getting het up about things. I don't know why she didn't, but she's not deceitful, like I said, perhaps it just slipped her mind. Oh, I should stop saying slipped, it's making me think of ice and how wonderfully cold it is..." Lucy said distractedly.

Edmund was silent, his confused brain thinking through the past and searching for any indication that Lucy's words were true. Safie and Visirish disappeared from his view down one of the garden paths, instantly hidden by a very large bush of fragrant Melissa.

"Anyway," Lucy continued, "the Tarkhaan leaves Monday morning with Duke Ronan, then you may occupy Safie's time as much as you like again."

"It's not – I'm not – I don't want to occupy her time!" Edmund spluttered. "I just wish she'd told me what was going on." He said sulkily, taking a strawberry and not even noticing that he'd forgotten to put it in sugar.

He was just considering going after the two when Peter called his name from behind him. Edmund whipped around, suddenly glad of the distraction whilst Lucy continued to lie on the blanket, her eyes shut. "Do you have a minute?"

Edmund jumped up by way of reply and the two set off across the grass. "If you see Mr Tumnus, send him out please, I can't finish these strawberries on my own and I want to continue our debate from yesterday." Lucy called out after the two, quickly fanning herself as though the mere effort of calling out after them had caused her to break out in a sweat.

"Will do." Peter called back over his shoulder.

"Is it true that Tarkhaan Visirish has been courting Safie for years?" Edmund quickly demanded, trying to keep his voice quiet as other picnickers smiled and waved at the two kings.

Peter forced his lips into a smile back at them all. "No. He tried but I wouldn't allow it."

"So it's true? He's been sending her gifts and they've exchanged love letters." Edmund practically accused Peter, already building up the facts Lucy had told him in his hurt at having been excluded from the proceedings.

"Edmund, would you calm down? As far as I know there've been no love letters, and I sent each of the gifts back." Peter shot back, still smiling the whole time for the benefit of their guests. "It's actually Visirish I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Edmund immediately asked, suddenly sensing Peter's unrest.

"Not here." Peter replied, looking around as their voices echoed in the stone hallway almost as though he expected to see his voice bouncing off the walls like a ball.

Edmund silently accepted Peter's order and followed him to his study, shutting the door behind him and waiting wordlessly whilst Peter began to pace the study in front of him, his gaze firmly on the floor and his arms crossed.

"Edmund, something has been worrying me recently, and I feel you are a better judge of how I should handle this situation..." He finally said, stopping his pacing and leaning back against the front of his large desk.

Edmund remained silent, watching Peter intently as he waited. Peter stared back at him absentmindedly at him, trying to bring himself to say the words. He did not know how Edmund would react. His personality and character had improved beyond measure since his betrayal to the White Witch, but sometimes there was a hint of darkness in Edmund that Peter worried about.

"It's about Safie and Tarkhaan Visirish." He finally said, elaborating on his earlier information that this would be about the Calormene.

Edmund took in a sharp breath at his words as Peter pushed the Tarkhaan and Safie together, his mind immediately turning to the worst as he considered the unknown letters Safie had sent him over the years. How long had their engagement been? And how could he put an end to it?

"He..." Peter paused again, still unwilling to reveal his knowledge out loud. "You are aware of course that Lune has been unable to attend the festivities because of a recent development that I could not tell you before. Well, two days ago a messenger arrived during the night and handed me a note from Lune that declared that what I had hoped to be untrue is in fact true..."

"Which is...?" Edmund asked with bated breath, dreading the answer but at the same time needing Peter to declare the engagement.

"Visirish is the one behind the attacks on the Archenland villages." Peter finally said, watching Edmunds reaction closely. "Safie's parents are dead because of him."

At first all Edmund could feel was relief surging through his body, but within seconds his gaze was on the floor as he internally berated himself for his selfish feelings that the two were not engaged. Disgusted with his reaction he fought to concentrate on Peter's words and formulate a reply.

"You are sure of this?" He finally asked in an odd, strangled voice.

Peter merely nodded and began to pace slowly around the room again.

Edmund ran a hand through his hair silently, his brow furrowing with anger at Visirish, concern and worry for how Safie would take the news and a crushing weight that settled in his heart at what he had to do. He trusted Peter completely; the High King never lied.

"Why did you tell me?" Edmund suddenly turned on a slightly bewildered Peter angrily. "Now I must tell Safie! How am I to do that!" He demanded, hiding his face in his hands in horror at what lay ahead of him and of Safie too.

"I wasn't sure if I should tell her, or - " Peter was unable to finish his sentence as he watched Edmund turn one way and then another, his anxiety evident.

He stopped suddenly and took a deep breath. "Leave this with me. If anyone should tell Safie, it should be me...it'll be better coming from me. Tell no-one else about this; I need to find the right time to tell her." He ordered Peter, waiting only a moment for Peter's nodded reply before walking quickly out of the room.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks again for all the reviews everyone, this story is doing surprisingly well! So, who got good grades? (I think this only applies to people in England, but if anyone did well in America in some tests I don't know about then well done!) Anyway, as usual, please review this chapter. Enjoy! **

" _- It was all Visirish. I'm sorry Safie." Edmund said quietly. The two were sitting side by side on his bed, Edmunds big, warm hands heating the gold engagement ring on her finger slightly._

"_No. You're wrong." Safie said emphatically, pulling her hands out of his and standing up. "You're confused."_

_Edmund regarded her sadly and merely shook his head slightly. He knew she believed him. He could see it in her eyes. _

"_You're infecting my mind." She said suddenly, turning away from him and walking aimlessly to the window. It was dark outside and inside the Palace; rain was thudding against the window before individual raindrops trickled down the glass, committing suicide at the bottom. Edmund's room was lit by only a single torch and it threw both of their faces into shadow, giving them a sinister edge._

"_I'm so sorry, but it's true..." He said, getting up and walking over to her. He put his hands reassuringly either side of her arms as he tried his hardest to make the news easier for her in any way possible._

"_How long have you know?" She suddenly asked, whirling around on him with tears glittering in her eyes._

"_About a week." He whispered, pulling her down onto the window seat beside him._

"_And you didn't tell me?" She demanded suddenly, her overpowering emotions making her voice a different pitch. A single tear spilled out of her right eye, carving a pathway over her face that others followed whilst the tears in her left eye remained, waiting to spill over. _

"_I was trying to save you - " He desperately tried to explain._

"_You betrayed me." She interrupted abruptly, jumping up from the seat as tears dripped from both eyes. The misery on her face broke Edmund's heart as she looked at him through her tears, her gaze a mixture of accusation, wretchedness and disappointment. _

"_No, I - " He grasped up at her shoulders, his face crumpling with unhappiness at her words._

"_You betrayed me!" She repeated, her mouth contorting as an effect of her crying as she tore her shoulders from his grip. She was shaking uncontrollably and Edmund found to his surprise that he was too, though he didn't know why. "But it's alright." She suddenly declared, still crying though her voice had completely changed pitch. "You can still keep your promise.." She urged him softly, leaning down and clasping his face in her hands. _

Edmund awoke in reality with a jolt that he only experienced when he had a dream about falling. For a moment he stayed absolutely still, allowing his breathing to calm as he reflected on the dream before it was too late, before it could be lost in his subconscious.

It was actually raining outside and his room was lit by a single torch. Suddenly he felt that the line between dream and reality had become completely blurred. Had it really happened? The dream had been so vivid he couldn't remember. He remembered the engagement ring that had been on Safie's finger and quickly jumped out of bed, wanting to check it wasn't there and seeing it as a symbol of whether or not it had actually happened.

He knocked gently on her door and padded inside quietly. "Safie?" He called out into the gloom of the early hours.

She made a groaning noise and he saw her stretch underneath the sheets. As always, the pillows and sheets lay haphazardly all over the bed from where she had fidgeted constantly in her sleep.

He checked her bedside table, and then her hands that were poking over the side of her bed before breathing a sigh of relief. There was no ring. He had simply panicked.

But that meant that he still had to tell her.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice muffled from within the sheets.

"I had a bad dream." He whispered, dread filling him. He couldn't do this. What if she reacted as she had in the dream?

She sat up suddenly, blinking sleepily at him. She ran a hand through her hair before moving over and starting to reorganise her pillows.

"Well, I know all about those." She replied, patting the space next to her. Edmund slid in, curling his cold feet up on the warmest patch of bed he could find and turning on his left side so that the two faced each other.

"What was it about?" She asked quietly, squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to shake the sleep out of them.

"You." He whispered back after a lengthy pause. He had no idea what to tell her; he could not reveal what he knew, and yet he could not lie to her.

She blinked rapidly and worriedly at his response. "What happened? Was I evil?"

"No! No, you did nothing wrong.." He reassured her, unable to believe that she could ever be evil.

"Then what is it? What made it a nightmare?"

"I saw you marrying Visirish." He whispered, his voice so quiet hardly any words came out.

There was a pause between the two and he could sense her surprise. "Oh, Edmund, don't be silly!" She finally laughed, a little relieved that it had been nothing worse. "Anyway, what's wrong with him? Why did that make it a nightmare?"

"Because..." He trailed off, trying to force himself to say the words aloud. "Marry Visirish and everything will be yours, except your soul." He finally told her, hating himself for his cowardice.

"Edmund, what's wrong?" She suddenly asked very seriously, sensing the tone in his voice.

"He - " Edmund began after a deep breath but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Even in darkness when he could not see her face he knew he could not say it. Instead of actually seeing her face he could instead picture it and he knew that she'd lapse back into herself. He could imagine the screams that would wake him in the night and the hours they'd all spend futilely trying to persuade her to eat, drink, move, think... "I just don't think he's a very nice person." He finished lamely.

"Don't worry, Ed, I won't be marrying him; that would require at least a proposal! And besides, I need Peter's permission before I marry, and if you don't approve then I won't do it, never mind what Peter has to say on it!" She reassured him firmly and he was unable to help the little trickle of pleasure that travelled down his spine at her words.

"That's good to know." He whispered.

"I think we should sleep now. We have to be up early for the farewell breakfast."

"Mm." Edmund made an agreeing noise in his throat and closed his eyes, playing the part despite knowing that he could never get back to sleep now. He didn't make a move to leave and Safie let him stay, thinking of all the times he'd stayed up with her after one of her own nightmares, sacrificing his own sleep for absolutely no benefit to himself.

Suddenly he remembered her words.

"You can still keep your promise."

What promise had he made her? He'd made thousands over the years – he promised to go riding the next day, to go apple picking with her in a few hours, to be gentle with her when they sparred…the list went on and on.

After a few minutes of silence his brain fixed on a promise he'd made her over a year ago when the horrid Duke Torrin and his family had visited.

I promise to protect you and take over the role of your family.

The second half of that promise did not apply here, but the first half certainly did.

I promise to protect you.

He sat up sharply, the sheets spilling down off his chest. He couldn't tell her. If he did he'd intentionally be causing her harm and going back on his promise.

"Are you going to be able to sleep?" She asked, staring at the outline of his back and remembering her own fervently thinking brain and pounding heartbeat after every nightmare.

"No." He finally whispered.

"Well, perhaps we should do something; not a midnight feast! I think Mrs Beaver would actually kill us this time...what do you want to do?"

"I don't know." He answered, still whispering almost fearfully. His brain seemed to have temporarily shut down; he had no idea what he was to do now.

"We could go to my cave on the beach." She suggested, concerned for his state of mind.

"No, that's your place." He said, forcing himself to get a grip. "I don't want to go anywhere; I just want to stay here. And besides, it's raining." He replied, lying back against the pillows and staring up at the ceiling of her room, watching the shadows the torch cast flickering and constantly moving.

"Ok." Safie said hesitantly after a lengthy pause; whatever he wanted. "Do you want to talk some more?"

"No." He replied. He needed to think, but he was almost afraid to leave her side now, fearful that Visirish would propose, or she'd find out in some other way what the despicable man had done.

He turned on his side to face her again. "I just want to sleep here."


	16. Chapter 16

_Hi everyone, a new chapter! I have to say I'm really getting into the swing of things with this story so I've been updating each week, but unfortunately I won't be updating any of my stories next week! Thanks so much for all the reviews so far, please review again! I hope I don't disappoint anyone's expectations! Enjoy!_

Edmund awoke a few hours later with a slight jolt. He'd constantly woken throughout the night, too jumpy to sleep properly. He screwed his eyes shut and then forced them open, squinting in the bright daylight after such a restless night. Beside him Safie still slept soundly, her long hair like beautiful tangled seaweed on the pillow.

Remembering his dream, Edmund slid out of her bed silently, watching her face constantly to make sure he did not wake her.

He reached the door without a sound but after a backward glance turned back, pulling her sheets back up over her. She always fidgeted in her sleep and accidently kicked the sheets off, but the Narnian weather was not as predictable as usual. Yesterday had been boiling hot but today the air in the castle was chilly and, though it was no longer raining, the sunlight filtering through the window was very weak, showing the beginning of the miserable day that was to come.

"Talk about pathetic fallacy." Edmund muttered gloomily to himself as he turned back and left her room, running a hand through his hair; something he only did when stressed.

Walking into his room he quickly pulled on his boots and left again, still in his night clothes but too distracted to even notice.

It was too early for most of the castle to be awake; barely past 5 o'clock only a few lonely guards were awake, yawning out of boredom. They snapped to attention when he passed by, able to tell by his posture and frowning brow that he did not want to talk to anyone.

He continued through the castle soundlessly until he reached the swing-seat in the gardens amongst the carefully tended lilies and melissa, its scent heavy in the air.

He flopped down on the gently creaking seat, feeling the sogginess of the wood from the night's rain seeping through his trousers. The wet had never really bothered him, and right now the damp and coldness in the air were the only things that convinced him he was awake and not still dreaming.

Condensation was momentarily visible in the air every time he breathed out. It formed like a mask in front of his nose and mouth before floating away in all directions; each little droplet separating and running different ways. It felt a little like his brain cells; he wanted to come to one decision but different bits of information and realisation were pulling his mind all over the place.

Before he knew it he'd been sitting on the bench for almost an hour and yet had not come to the conclusion he'd come out here to reach. He had barely even thought properly; everything that he already knew simply kept repeating itself. His fingers had gone numb and his nose was running from the chill, but he still didn't move.

It was almost six o'clock now and the palace would be starting to wake up; servants would be helping to prepare their own breakfast before making a start on that of the royals and all of their guests.

"Oh, forgive me, Edmund, I did not realise you were here!" He heard Mr Tumnus exclaim, giving a little start of surprise to his left.

"No, it's quite alright." Edmund replied, too distracted to even look at the faun.

"Is something wrong?" Mr Tumnus asked hesitantly, stepping slightly closer.

Edmund was silent, feeling too much of an emotional wreck to speak; if he did he feared he'd burst into tears.

"Everything's wrong." He finally managed to whisper.

"Surely not!" Mr Tumnus exclaimed in dismay, tucking his book underneath his arm and putting his blanket down on the damp seat and sitting next to Edmund, waiting for the young king to reveal what was eating him.

"You must know, Mr Tumnus, Peter must have told you…that Visirish is the reason Safie's parents are dead?" He checked, still unable to look anywhere but at the grass that his feet rested on.

"Yes…that man deserves everything that is coming to him…is that what all of this is about?" Mr Tumnus checked, unwilling to put words in Edmund's mouth but sensing that he would not elaborate without a little help.

"It's what's brought it all on…" Edmund explained hesitantly.

"So what else accompanies the awful news?"

"I, stupidly, have given myself the task of breaking the news to Safie. But every time I see her I cannot bring myself to say the words…it will practically kill her and undo all of the progress she has made. I cannot break her heart." He finished quietly.

"Must she know? Must she be told? Can we not carefully orchestrate it so that he is arrested quietly? She need never know…"

"I cannot lie to her!" Edmund exclaimed almost angrily; the idea of seeing to Visirish secretly had spun round and round his mind, but he knew that he could not do it. "If I keep this from her forever then when she eventually finds out anyway I will still break her heart!"

"But…why would this break her heart?" Mr Tumnus asked hesitantly; slightly confused about Edmund's constant references to Safie's heart. The news would certainly distress her, but a heart can only be broken by love.

"It…it…" Edmund stammered, unable to find the words to explain what he meant.

"Do you mean that causing her to hurt would break your heart?" Mr Tumnus suggested tentatively.

"That is exactly what I mean." Edmund admitted with shame. "This should be all about Safie, and yet I find myself being selfish and thinking of myself before her." He told Mr Tumnus with pain in his eyes. "I dreamt of her last night. In my dream I told her about Visirish, and she reacted as I would expect with tears and disbelief, but then she turned to me and said that I could still keep my promise, and she took my face in her hands and – and - "

Edmund broke off, hiding his face in his hands almost angrily. He growled with frustration at himself and rubbed his hands up and down harshly, leaving his skin reddened and his hair sticking up at odd angles.

"And what?" Mr Tumnus whispered.

"Kissed! We almost kissed!" Edmund practically shouted, still hiding his face in his hands, too ashamed and confused to look upon anything.

"Why does this distress you?" Mr Tumnus asked worriedly.

"I should not be feeling this way about someone who is practically my sister!" Edmund insisted, his fingers twitching with the urge to pull out his hair, or to scratch at his face until he broke through his skin; to do anything that would relieve his inner turmoil.

"But she is not; she is your best friend…" Mr Tumnus explained to Edmund slowly, thinking on his own inner turmoil that love caused.

"It doesn't matter! I can't have these feelings for her! I just don't understand…" Though his muscles were still tense Edmund sagged back against the seat, pleading with nothing and no-one to explain his feelings to him.

"It's natural." Mr Tumnus tried to reassure him. "You are after all a teenager, Edmund. Being a king doesn't mean you stop being human."

"But in my dream she was engaged to Visirish!" He exclaimed, jolting up again as though merely saying the words made him want to jump into action. "What if she loves him? If he does propose then I must tell her what he's done…"

Mr Tumnus inhaled sharply at his words. "You are sure she was? How did you know?"

"She was wearing an engagement ring." Edmund mumbled miserably. There was a short silence between the two as Mr Tumnus thought this through.

"But how did you know it was from Visirish?" He finally asked.

Edmund was silent; he didn't.

"Oh, Aslan." He suddenly whimpered, clasping his face in his hands again and bending double so that his head was between his knees.

"Edmund?" Mr Tumnus asked tentatively, touching his hand gently onto Edmund's back. At the contact Edmund jumped up and ran further into the gardens, ignoring Mr Tumnus' calls.

He finally returned to the castle well after 7 o'clock, just in time to go and hide in his room before all of the guests woke up and he had to talk for hours on end about absolutely nothing at all.

"Ed! Have you told her?" Peter's voice called out from above him.

Edmund started and looked around, locating Peter on his study balcony on the first floor. Peter too was still in his nightclothes and he was bent over the banister, talking in a stage whisper that carried far in the air that was still heavy with morning dew.

"No! By Aslan, can't you all just leave me alone for two minutes?" Edmund screamed back in frustration.

Peter blinked silently in surprise at Edmund's completely uncharacteristic outburst. His younger brother stormed off, even the echoes of his footsteps on the path sounding angry.

Edmund practically ran to his room, stopping only to change into fresh clothes before dashing back out, counting down the minutes until everyone in the palace would be awake, most notably Susan, and he'd be forced to stay for the day.

Hurrying into the kitchen he ignored the hubbub of the breakfast rush and grabbed a few pieces of fruit and some freshly cooked toast, throwing them into a sack and ignoring the bemused stares of the kitchen staff.

Ducking out of the kitchen backdoor he ran around the edge of the palace until he reached the stables, slipping inside when he was sure no-one was watching him.

"My king! I did not know there was a ride planned today." Phillip commented in surprise, watching Edmund with one eye and the dwarf who'd almost reached him with his breakfast with the other eye.

"We're deviating from the plan." Edmund replied shortly, starting to bridle Philip and put his saddle on.

"Ah, an escape jaunt! Susan asking you to dance with all the ladies again?" Philip teased.

"Not quite. Give us a hand." He called out to the dwarf who immediately abandoned his job and began to lengthen Philip's stirrups.

To Edmund it seemed to have taken an age. But in reality he had been delayed no more than a few minutes by Philip, and when they finally were able to leave they headed straight for the woods to the right of the palace stables, seeking the shelter and cover of the trees.

£"(*)^%$&

Safie knocked on Edmund's door gently, waiting for a few seconds before pushing the door open. "Ed?" She called out softly. He hadn't called her in, but she'd only knocked gently, worried that he'd be sleeping and she'd wake him if she knocked too loudly.

His room was empty; only a few items of clothing thrown haphazardly and his unmade bed looking out of place.

She closed the door behind her and hurried down to the kitchen; it was unlike Edmund to be messy. He must have been in a real hurry; was she late for breakfast?

But as she neared the great hall she heard only a light murmur of people through the closed doors; there could not be many people inside.

She doubled back instead went into the kitchen. "Morning." She called out. The kitchen staff all called out greetings and continued with their work.

"What can I do for you, my dear?" Mrs Beaver asked, wiping her wet paws on her apron.

"Nothing! I was just wondering if you've seen Edmund?" Safie asked, reaching for a little fried mushroom that a faun was scooping onto plates from the frying pan. The faun snapped their teeth playfully a Safie's hand and she giggled, still taking a mushroom anyway.

"He rushed in here about an hour ago, grabbed some food and took off! Goodness knows where!" Mrs Beaver exclaimed. "Those plates.." She told a passing badger with fresh toast, pointing to a row of plates to her right.

"Oh…" Safie trailed off, popping the mushroom into her mouth and chewing. What odd behaviour. "Perhaps he just needed some space; it has been a pretty hectic week."

"You're telling me!" Mr Beaver suddenly interjected, appearing at the table from behind his paper. On the table in front of him was a mug of steaming coffee and a half eaten jam sandwich. "How long till breakfast's ready?" He asked Mrs Beaver, making a point of trying to be patient.

"In a minute, dear!" She tutted, rescuing a bear who couldn't seem to pour orange juice into goblets without spilling it everywhere.

Safie thanked Mrs Beaver and hurried back out, nodding politely to passing Lords and Ladies. If she could not go in with Edmund then she hoped to catch Gwendolyn in her room. She hated going anywhere on her own; if she went into the great hall and there were no free seats next to anyone she knew then she'd be forced to introduce herself to new people, a concept that was awful to the shy girl.


	17. Chapter 17

_Hi everyone; thanks for the reviews! This story is doing really well! I have to admit that it's currently my favourite of all my stories…my baby, if you will! Anyway, please review again, it makes me very happy for this story in particular! Enjoy!_

"Where to?" Philip asked, leaping easily over a fallen tree that blocked their path.

"Kelpie Beach." Edmund replied after a moment's thought. It was not one of Narnia's most beautiful beaches, and what with its rocky cliffs and the day's dismal weather the place was likely to be deserted.

Which was of course just what Edmund wanted.

Philip changed direction slightly, swerving off the path and into the left-side of the wood. A passing badger and mole who'd stopped briefly to chat jumped out of the way, shouting curses after Edmund and Philip before quietening as they realise who he was.

Edmund crouched low over Philip's neck, allowing the horse to take control and gallop at full speed. He could feel his frustration and confusion rising up in him again like a great bubble that was putting pressure on his lungs and making it harder for him to breathe.

With an innate sense that only animals have, Philip picked up on Edmunds struggle and galloped faster, choosing to take a great leap over a wide ditch rather than run alongside it till it ended.

The wood as flashing past them, green intermixed with brown and seemingly nothing else.

To Edmund, grew was the colour of growth, health and, somehow, honesty.

Truth.

But he really didn't want to think about that right now so he concentrated on the brown instead, trying to keep his mind from Safie and the bubble that was swelling inside him. But the colour brown was lethal to him; some of the dark wet bark that flashed past was the same colour as Safie's hair. And, failing that, it seemed to be the colour of her eyes.

Her brilliant eyes that were never the same shade of brown two days running.

Philip trotted to a halt a minute later as the two broke out of the cover of trees, both breathing heavily but for different reasons. Before them lay a few more metres of grass right up till the edge of the cliff; on the cliff side large boulders and rocks had been deposited by the sea, dropped upon each other haphazardly almost right to the very top.

Edmund dismounted and walked forwards almost calmly, but his breathing was still unnecessarily difficult and the bubble of emotions he couldn't express had grown bigger.

He reached the edge of the cliff and stood staring at the sea momentarily with almost gasping breaths. Finally he took a deep breathe in, clenching his fists and tensing his body in preparation. With the intake of air the bubble inside him seemed to grow too, consuming his body completely.

He let the air out slowly in a magnificent scream. It was not just one of frustration and confusion but also of agony, for he'd realised that if he did indeed love Safie, then he was destined to live a life of loneliness for he could never expect her to love him back.

He screamed until it felt like his lungs would collapse in upon themselves and then gasped air back in so that he could scream some more.

The bubble inside of him had disappeared and been replaced by a gaping hole that hurt him even more. He clutched at his sides and sank to the ground, gulping in air as fast as he could, totally drained of all energy.

Did he definitely love Safie? Was love supposed to physically hurt? He could've sworn being in love was supposed to be wonderful…

But that was requited love! Unrequited love was supposed to be total agony.

He stood and walked past Philip, who stood staring with wide eyes, and back into the wood. Philip followed him hesitantly, deciding to remain silent for now and see if Edmund volunteered to tell him what was wrong.

Edmund threw himself on the hard ground in a small clearing and spread his limbs wide in a cross, totally spent.

He closed his eyes and tried to relax, his head feeling almost clear.

Philip began to graze quietly a few metres away, his eyes flicking to and fro as he heard sounds in the distance all around them.

"So, what is it you were running from?" Philip finally asked through a mouthful of grass, unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

"You don't want to know." Edmund muttered, opening his eyes and squinting up at the clouds.

"Fine, what were you screaming about?" Philip corrected himself.

"You don't want to know." Edmund repeated.

"Oh, believe me, I do. You just don't want to tell me." Philip snorted.

"It's nothing personal. I don't want to talk about it with anyone." Edmund explained calmly, sitting up slowly as though waking up for the first time that day.

"Not even Safie?" Philip asked a little worriedly. Edmund was silent by way of answer. "Fair enough. Just remember that you can't run away from your problems; you have to deal with them." He added smarmily, taking another mouthful of grass.

"What would you know about dealing with things? You're a horse…" Edmund trailed off, getting up and untying his sack off food from Philips saddle.

"Ah, but I'm a talking horse, therefore life is much better and of course far more complicated." Philip walked closer to Edmund as the sack was opened, smelling apples inside of it.

"Of course. Communication is what messes everything up." Edmund muttered, looking into the sack. Philip was silent, unable to tell if Edmund was joking or being completely serious when he could not see his betraying eyes.

"You're not going to tell me are you?" He checked.

"Nope."

"Well then at least give me an apple!" He insisted, trying to get his nose into the sack.

"Oh!" Edmund exclaimed, pulling it out of the way. "Here you are." He said, reaching in and selecting a light red one. "Scavenger." He threw the apple at Philip who caught it deftly in his mouth, instantly biting down on it and revelling in its sweet taste.

There was silence for an entire ten minutes as Philip crunched away and Edmund began pulling at a cold piece of toast. "If you don't tell me, I won't take you back to the palace. You can walk home. And it looks like it's going to rain…" Philip told him, wishing there was more apple.

"Fine." Edmund replied shortly. "I think I'm in love." He revealed in the same tone as though it were the simplest problem in the world.

"Well that doesn't sound so bad…You had me worried that it was something worse!" Philip exclaimed with a little snort of laughter.

Edmund looked at Philip oddly. "Worse than the total agony of being in love?"

"Oh. Right, yes. Fair point. Total agony." Philip corrected himself. Silence fell between the two again. "Who with, by the way? Anyone I know?"

"With Safie." Edmund replied after swallowing his bite of pear.

"Oh."

"Oh indeed." Edmund echoed, raising his eyebrows wryly.

"Is it a problem?" Philip asked, thinking back on the good times he and Edmund always had with Safie and her horse, Ava, even if the two did boast rather a lot about how they always won the races. Edmund simply nodded in reply. "Why?"

"Because of a thousand and one reasons that I can't put into words." Edmund exclaimed; it was the only explanation he could give anyone for it didn't make sense to him either.

"Well…she is your best friend…"

"Which makes it worse…I always confide in her. I trust her judgement more than anyone else's, but I can't go to her with this…I can't ask her advice…nothing!"

"But you can't hide out here either." Philip said helpfully.

"I'm not hiding! I'm thinking!" Edmund retorted sharply, giving Philip a withering glare.

"Is that why we left in such a big hurry before anyone else was up?" Philip asked cheekily.

"That…was to avoid awkward questions." Edmund insisted. "And besides, you know what Susan's like; she'd never have let me go!"

"Because you have guests!"

Edmund gave a sigh of annoyance. "Fine! We'll go home!" He exclaimed in defeat, pulling himself up into the saddle. The last thing he needed right now was a big, taxing argument with his horse. "You just want to get back before it rains." He accused quietly, sulking slightly.

"And you were hoping to get caught out in the rain so we'd be forced to shelter somewhere all day rather than return home." Philip retorted, beginning to walk very slowly so that Edmund would at least have a little time to prepare himself on the way.

"%£$!*(&)^

They returned just in time for the last few minutes of breakfast; luckily Susan was still in bed with a headache and none the wiser for Edmund's absence.

Edmund made sure Philip was given an extra-large portion of oats and barley and trudged back into the castle, muttering under his breath about how to greet Safie normally.

Seeing her was so natural now.

"Morning." He muttered calmly under his breath, following it with an overjoyed "Hey!" Then he stopped in confusion. Did he even say hello to her anymore? Or were they now so close that there was no need…?

He shook his head and continued to walk, going through the kitchen where a lonely faun had been given the task of washing the enormous pile of plates, goblets, cups, saucers, cutlery, saucepans, chopping boards…

"Morning, Charice." Edmund said dolefully.

The young faun jumped a little in surprise and look over her shoulder. "Good morning, your majesty. Have you had breakfast?"

"Yes. Don't worry, I won't be adding to your pile of cleaning." He suddenly grinned.

"Oh, I don't mind." She replied. "I ask to have washing-up duty I find it quite therapeutic."

"Really?" He asked, suddenly very interested. "Perhaps I should…" He trailed off. But then he remembered washing up in England; it had not been therapeutic but rather mind-numbingly boring. He was certain it would be no different here. "Oh, King Peter and Safie have been asking after you." She suddenly remembered.

"Oh yeah?" He asked warily; right now he'd really like to avoid them both. But he could not run forever.

"I'm afraid I don't know where either of them are; I doubt they've gone outside in this weather but you never know.."

"Don't worry, I'll find them." He muttered. "Thanks." He called over his shoulder. The faun waved at the doorway and immediately regretted it as a big dollop of soap suds slapped onto the floor.

Edmund checked the great hall first, steeling himself for the conversation's he'd have with both Safie and Peter.

Peter he could handle; he'd tell him he was working on telling her (which he was) and to hold off arresting Visirish.

But Safie.

He had no idea what to say to her; she didn't know anything had changed since last night. She was oblivious to the fact that he'd just had a revelation that he was in love with her.

He could hear several voices in the great hall as he stepped closer, and he poked his head fervently around the door first, searching for her or Peter.

His eyes were drawn to Safie immediately. She was talking to someone out of his line of vision; her weight on one hip and the dim daylight streaming in the window behind her. A smile graced her lips and her hair was lose and shinning. She'd tucked one of the table flowers behind her ear; a large forget-me-not that held her hair off her face.

His breath caught in his throat for a single instant and he stepped into full view, beginning to walk toward her.

He could see now that she was with Gwendolyn and the two were talking briefly with her parents, clearly on their way out of the hall.

Safie looked up as she heard his footsteps and her smile beamed brighter as she saw him. Unable to help himself Edmund mirrored her smile, his heart suddenly beating erratically.

He must love her.

"Morning." He said as he came closer, nodding to the three Lone Islanders, surprising himself with how calm he sounded on the outside when his heart was thudding painfully inside his chest.

"Good morning, King Edmund." Viscount Curzon greeted him with a returning nod. "I believe you're a little late for breakfast.."

"I ate earlier." He replied politely. "I went for an early ride this morning and took my meal with me. And what are you two planning to do today?" He asked Gwendoyln and Safie, though he was really only interested in the latter.

"We're just waiting for Jenny, and then we're going for a ride!" Safie told him with forced brightness, looking at him with questioning eyes. She could not ask how he was after last night with the Lone Islanders here. She knew he'd hate for people to know and ask questions.

"Oh no, you mustn't!" He suddenly exclaimed. "It's going to rain today!" He was horrified at the idea of her falling ill.

Her face fell at his words and she looked out of the window, pouting a little when she saw the dark clouds that she'd spent the morning blissfully ignorant of. "Well then, we'll just find something to do indoors." She amended in a cheerful voice. "Gwen and Jenny leave tomorrow, so today's our last day together." She explained to Edmund who nodded in understanding, trying to keep his face as normal as possible.

He had mixed feelings about this; he was glad she would be busy with her friends all day as it meant that she would not be with Visirish, and that he could think more without the constant distraction of her closeness, but at the same time he wanted to spend the day with her. It wasn't just his sudden realisation, the two had hardly spent any time together over the last week and they usually spent the majority of each day together! He didn't like the change.

Jennifer walked in at that point and he bowed his head in greeting to her, bidding the company goodbye before smartly marching out, dreading the conversation he now had to have with Peter.


	18. Chapter 18

_Hey everyone. So, I've been really good lately and have been updating this story quite a lot! (I'll let you in on a secret that isn't a secret at all…this is my favourite story at the moment! So expect some other quite speedy updates!) Thanks for all the support for this story, please review again! I'm always so pleased when people let me know what they're thinking, whether they love/hate the product of my imagination! Enjoy!_

Edmund walked down the hallway towards the great hall, able to faintly hear trails of music coming from downstairs.

He heard the laughter of multiple girls and slowed slightly, recognising Safie's light laugh amongst them.

He'd knocked on her door to see if she wanted him to walk into the great hall with her, but she had already left, leaving her room strewn with hair accessories, different flowers and pairs of shoes. There was a door open three doors down and he could see Safie sitting on the bed in what he thought was Gwendolyn's room. She sat cross legged with her hands serenely in her lap whilst she looked at presumably Gwendolyn - who he was unable to see through the doorway. She was in a beautiful new deep green dress that seemed to shimmer and her skin was golden in the torch light. Her hair had been pulled into a loose French plait over her shoulder and it had a few white flowers placed in it at random intervals, contrasting strongly with her dark hair.

She looked beautiful.

Gwendolyn continued to talk and Safie tittered before catching sight of him.

She cocked her head at him with questioning eyes and he forced himself to give a little smile, reassuring her that he was fine before quickly moving on.

Just seeing her had made his heart thump erratically. He was almost ashamed; he could never have predicted that vulnerable Safie would make his insides react in such violent ways.

He shook his head and gave a large smile, preparing herself for the night ahead that would be filled with nothing but dancing with women he did not want to, talking to Lords he did not want to and drinking wine when he did not want to. In fact, wine was the very last thing he wanted right now; he needed a clear head to make sure he let nothing slip to anyone. He could very easily tell a random Baron that he was in love with Safie, or even worse, tell Safie herself! And then there was the Visirish secret.

No. He could not afford to drink tonight when he had so much to conceal.

He nodded at Saros; the minotaur on announcement duty and walked into the great hall quickly whilst the poor minotaur reeled off his long title.

"Edmund the Just, King of Narnia, Duke of Lantern Waste, Count of the - " He boomed whilst Edmund immediately engaged in conversation with King Lune and the Duke of Bletchley.

"Perhaps you can help me, Edmund." Lune said quietly to include him. "My dear Duke Yusuf believes that he should propose to a woman after only courting her for 2 weeks. I am trying to persuade him that the fairer sex are not quite as direct as we are – they need to be wooed and enticed!"

The two turned to look at him expectantly and he jumped to nod in agreement with Lune. "Yes." He determined, clearing his throat a little. This was a subject he really didn't want to talk about right now. "She'll want to be certain of your feelings for her before agreeing to marriage." With furtive glances around he located Visirish in the far corner, deep in conversation with Duke Ronan and his son. He breathed a small sigh of relief that he was as far from where Safie would enter as possible, and jumped as Lune seemed to shout in his ear.

"I couldn't have put it better myself." Lune boomed before dropping his voice again. "You seem to speak from experience, Edmund, tell me, has a lovely young lady captured your heart?"

Edmund gave a little laugh as though the mere idea were ridiculous. "I'm afraid there are very few women in Narnia." He said, baring his teeth in what he hoped was a convincing grin and wondering if he could somehow cross his fingers behind his back without anyone noticing.

"But surely, a woman from another country - " Lune broke off when Edmund shook his head and looked at him a little despairingly. "Well then, there are many fine young Archenlandian ladies here whom I'm acquainted with. Allow me to – ah – there's Miss Sheelow." He said, pointing towards said young lady and beginning to list some of her desirable qualities.

But at that moment Safie was announced with three other girls and Edmund was distracted, watching her instead of paying attention to Lune as she walked in with her eyes on the floor. Even though her face was hidden it seemed she demanded everyone's attention, despite the three girls by her side, but then again he was more than a little biased.

He saw her face light up with happiness as she saw Geladine, who was on guard duty, and she hurried to her side. Then a dancing Corin and Lucy obstructed his view of her and he returned to what Lune was saying to him, now talking about a completely different young woman who was dancing with Peter.

"Ah, Lune." He sighed, shaking his head and trying to look as though he were merely hopeless. "I do not want a perfect woman! I can't imagine living with her when I have so many flaws of my own!" He joked, his eyes drawn again to Safie.

He did a double take as he saw that she was now talking to Corin and Lucy, proudly showing them something on her finger. Even from this distance he was sure he could see the glint of an evil ring.

He rushed over in horror, his face absolutely frozen. Lune and the Duke stared after him in confusion as he rudely abandoned their conversation and darted across the hall, zoning in on only Safie as though his life depended on it.

"He said it's one of the purest cut sapphires in Calormen!" He heard her saying excitedly as he neared them. Without any explanation he grasped her hand and pulled it towards him, staring at the ring incredulously.

It could only be from Visirish. Who else would have bought her a ring from Calormen?

"Ed!" Safie hissed at him, looking around to make sure he was not attracting any attention to them. "What on earth's wrong with you?" She asked worriedly, scared by his recent erratic behaviour.

For a moment all he could do was stare at her hand. The ring was not placed on her wedding finger, but he had clearly meant it as a wedding ring.

It was huge; much too big for her slim hand and her skin looked pale next to it, as though the very essence of her life were being drained by it.

"Visirish gave this to you?" He demanded in a strangled voice. He vaguely heard Lucy distracting Corin from what seemed to be her brother's mental breakdown.

"Yes he - "

"Listen to me, Safie, this is very important." He told her firmly, staring up into her eyes with an unbreakable gaze. "Did he ask you to marry him?"

"He did, but I told him he had to ask Peter, not me, and then he told me to keep the ring until he'd had a chance to - " She stopped abruptly as Edmund suddenly yanked her after him, marching her smartly out of the hall.

"What's going on?" She demanded quietly through smiling teeth, trying not to let anyone know anything was wrong. If people sensed a scene they'd stare, and she really hated that.

He pulled her into the empty library a few doors down. "Safie." He told her, bending down slightly so he could look directly into her eyes without looming over her. "I know that I have been behaving strangely, but it's because I know something that has been tearing me apart. I wondered if I could possibly not tell you, but now that Visirish has proposed I see that I have no choice."

She was silent and he could see the concern and almost…fear…of what he had to say in her eyes.

He broke away from her and ran his hands over his face in panic. He just had to say it. He closed his eyes tightly shut; he couldn't bear to look into her sweet eyes.

"Visirish is the one behind your parent's deaths. He ordered the attack on your village."

Silence met his words and when he finally brought his gaze to hers he was greeted by an expression more heart-wrenching than he had anticipated.

"You're wrong." She finally managed to choke out. "You're confused."

His breathing hitched more as she said exactly the same words as she'd said in his dream.

He tried his hardest to say something completely different, but even as he tried he could feel the words slipping through his lips. "I was trying to save you - " He whispered.

It was like a prophecy that the two were fulfilling, helpless to deviate from the fate already set out for them.

"You - " But he suddenly clasped his hand over her mouth with such force that he knew he'd hurt her. But he couldn't bear to hear her say the words. It would kill him.

"Safie." He whispered, his eyes burning with regret and horror as she struggled in his grasp and shrugged his hands off her. He reached for her again but she flinched back from him and his hands flinched to at the rejection.

He was graced with one last look in her devastated eyes before she ran from him, taking the shards of his heart with her.

He stood stock still with his hands still out in front of him, trying to get over his urge to break down in tears caused by so many emotions.

The door slammed into the wall with a loud bang as she threw it open, but he barely registered it. He felt numb, as though nothing could hurt him now, but he pulled himself together. If he felt numb then he couldn't even imagine how Safie must be feeling.

She needed him.

*"%£^&(!

Safie ran through the hall, knocking people all over the place in her search for Visirish. If she'd been thinking sensibly she'd have asked someone tall to point him out, or perhaps have stood on a chair to see him over everyone's heads, but after what Edmund had told her she couldn't possibly think straight.

She finally saw his dark skin and charged at him, almost knocking Lucy over in her desperation.

"Is it true?" She cried, rushing to him with a wild look in her eyes as she desperately searched his, willing him to deny it all.

A look of surprise and shock flickered across Visirish's face, but it was soon replaced with wariness. He knew what she was referring to. He knew her history, and the slaughter of the Archenland villages was the only significant thing he'd done in his life.

He made no reply as he struggled to formulate a believable denial.

"Safie, come away, let's just get you upstairs..." Lucy said comfortingly, leading the stunned younger girl away from Visirish. Safie simply gazed at him with her mouth hanging open slightly, allowing Lucy to propel her backwards without feeling her feet and legs moving at all.

The hall had gone quiet as everyone watched the proceedings with wide, interested eyes.

"Lucy?" She suddenly asked in a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. "Lucy, go to him," Safie continued in the same voice, unable to feel any part of her body. "Go to him and – oh!" Edmund caught her from behind as she fell and supported her. She stayed in his arms, completely still as she gazed straight ahead in shock with unseeing eyes.

"Allow me." He said quietly to Lucy without even looking at her. Stooping down slightly he picked Safie up, saving her the difficulty of walking in her current state. "Arrest him." He muttered to Geladine, twitching his head in Visirish's direction.

The wolf advanced on Visirish menacingly, flanked by a faun and Peter who had hurried forward.

Edmund hurried out with the lifeless Safie in his arms, trying to shield her from everyone's penetrating gaze with his own body.

The crowd was moving out of his way quickly, parting as he imagined the red sea had for Moses. Behind him he could hear Peter's grave voice. "Tarkhaan Visirish, I'm arresting you on the account of genocide; of ordering the mass murders of the 5 Archenland villages." His voice was low but it travelled far in the silent hall, seeming to weave in and out of the guests in its effort to reach as far as possible.

Lucy gave a great gasp at his words and clapped her hand to her mouth in horror. The surrounding guests began to murmur excitedly amongst themselves and more gasps were heard as the guests who had not heard Peter's arrest were informed of the proceedings by their neighbours.

Lucy hurried out of the hall after Edmund and Safie with one hand still over her open mouth.

With a flick of his fingers Peter beckoned the majority of the guards over and had them escort Visirish to the dungeons, a feature in Cair Paravel that was rarely used.

Visirish went silently, not even speaking to deny the charges of the arrest.


	19. Chapter 19

_Hi everyone, sorry it's been a couple of weeks since I last updated! I'm glad you all like the story! Please review again everyone; it makes me happy! Enjoy!_

Edmund lay Safie gently down on her bed and called her name, desperation sinking in as he took note of her vacant expression and tortured eyes. She hadn't moved at all and only stared straight ahead, her shallow breath and occasional blinks the only indication that she was alive.

"Safie, please talk to me." He begged her, taking hold of her hand and holding it tightly in his own as he sank down on the edge of the bed next to her.

After a long moment she turned her head slowly and first looked distractedly at him, and then at their intertwined hands.

His heart pounded at what seemed to be yet another rejection, but as he removed his hands her face changed and she instead looked horrified by what she saw.

Spying the evil ring on her finger he suddenly understood and hurried to remove it, forcing the poison off her delicate finger. He held it in his palm for a moment, unsure how to destroy it effectively.

Safie's gaze was also upon the ring, and when he saw the distress in her eyes he curled his fingers tightly around it and hurled it violently into the fire. It hit the back of the fireplace with a resounding clang before settling in what he hoped was the heart of the flames.

He quickly grasped her hands again and tried to catch her eye. "It's gone now." He whispered to her, kissing the finger he had wrenched it from with extraordinary tenderness. "He's gone now."

"Edmund." She mouthed, her eyes focusing on him as though she'd only just realised he was there.

"Yes. I'm here." He told her, desperately clutching at the moment and tightening his grip on her hand.

"I – I want to be alone." She stuttered uncertainly.

His heart sank at her words. He wanted to leave her as much as he wanted Visirish to walk free.

But he reprimanded himself; if it was what Safie wanted then it was what he'd give her.

"If you're sure." He whispered. "I'll just be next door; you know to come to me…"

"No." She replied. "You should go back downstairs…you should...the party. You should explain to people…tell them…don't gossip…" Her words were disjointed and separated by lengthy pauses as she struggled to form a coherent sentence, her mind clearly racing.

"If that is what you want." He whispered with a tight chest. "I'll be next door in an hour. I'll have a guard posted outside your door so that no-one bothers you, and I think you should lock your door." He advised her, imagining with horror King Lune bursting in and trying to cheer her up.

Her eyes had become distant again and he kissed her finger one last time before carefully getting up and leaving, feeling the sad atmosphere clinging to him and weighing him down as he moved.

He glanced back at her as he reached the open door and noticed that she hadn't even moved before closing it quietly behind him, almost jumping out of his skin when he discovered Lucy hiding in the gloom, tears silently running down her cheeks.

They were fresh tears; she hadn't been crying long. As the two stared at each other he saw many emotions in her eyes – sorrow, horror, pity, and, most of all, understanding. Though what it was she'd come to understand his emotional wreck of a body couldn't comprehend.

"I need you to get Savageclaw." He told her, rubbing a hand over his eyes tiredly and taking a small step backwards until he stood almost touching Safie's door, his broad shoulders clearly preventing anyone else from entering.

With one last unreadable look at him Lucy hurried off and Edmund was left with his thoughts; something that he was beginning to dread and fear. He'd realised that whenever he was left alone his mind drifted to Safie, and with the recent events he knew this would be no exception.

Instead he focused on Visirish and began formulating ways to punish him that would be humiliating, degrading, drawn out and painful. Death was far too easy an escape for the monster.

He was on his third method of torture – stabbing Visirish the exact same number of times as the death toll of Archenlandian victims had been – when he realised that he may not get the chance to punish Visirish.

If Safie wanted him to stay with her instead then he'd do it in less than a heartbeat.

He heard claws quietly clinking against the stone floor and looked up, immediately drawn out of his reverie. He tensed, expecting it to be Savageclaw but also anticipating it to be someone who needed to be turned away.

To his relief it was Savageclaw who rounded the corner with a prowling grace that only big cats can achieve. He was the son of the chief of the tigers and he had been justly named; at only 3 years old he'd been declared the greatest of the tiger warriors and one of Narnia's most deadly beasts. As well as being supremely fast and strong he was a quick thinker and easily picked out his foe's weaknesses within seconds of observing them.

Edmund stepped forward to meet him and the two nodded at each other. The tiger was huge; almost up to Edmund's waist and Edmund knew they'd be as tall as each other if Savageclaw reared on his hind legs.

"I know that this is not work you're used to." Edmund immediately started, keen to assuage the warrior. "But it is of the utmost importance to me that Safie is interrupted by no-one. I trust only a handful of warriors with this task, but you are the one who sprang to mind."

Savageclaw nodded, wisdom beyond his age visible in his eyes as he stared into Edmund's face and sensed all the emotions Edmund was feeling in a way only beasts can. "I understand. Is she very bad?" He asked boldly; everyone cared about Safie. Not only was she the gentlest and sweetest human in Narnia, but he was one of the numerous protectors of the castle and often worked alongside Geladine and had heard her talk affectionately of Safie on numerous occasions.

"She is as can be expected." Edmund muttered. "She has specifically requested to be alone, and so that is what she will have. You are to let no-one in except myself, Peter, Lucy or Geladine. But if the others do come you must tell them that Safie wants to be alone."

The tiger nodded his head gravely and prowled forwards till he sat in Safie's doorway, his tail curled around his huge paws. "And what of Queen Susan?" He enquired politely, noticing that Edmund had neglected to mention her. He did not believe that Edmund had simply forgotten Susan; he was not the sort of man to miss anything when it came to those he loved.

Edmund's face darkened a little and his eyes became guarded, barriers sliding into place even as Savageclaw watched.

"She is not to be allowed in." He said shortly.

"How much force am I to use to ensure Safie is not bothered?"

Edmund pondered for a moment. "Simply warn them that she is to have no visitor's on my orders, if they persist use more…intimidating methods. I will have two fauns stationed nearby to escort persistent guests away."

Savageclaw nodded his understanding one last time and, after a moment of dithering, Edmund left, dreading the many conversations where he would be quizzed on what had happened.

He returned over two hours later, grateful to finally be away. He'd been interrogated at great length about the proceedings and Safie's state by nobles who neither knew nor really cared about her. It had taken all of his control not to scream at them all to leave and to run back upstairs to Safie.

"Any problems?" Edmund quietly asked Savageclaw who looked as though he had not moved a millimetre since they'd separated.

"Two young women were a little persistent, but they decided to listen to me when I showed them my teeth." Savageclaw replied, curling his lips back to reveal his four very large teeth in demonstration. "Geladine has just left her; King Peter was here earlier and Queen Lucy decided to respect Safie's wish to be alone."

"But no-one else?" Edmund checked.

"No, Your Majesty."

"And how did Safie seem? Did Geladine or Peter say anything?" He asked worriedly, the temptation to go in and comfort her almost overpowering him.

Savage claw's ears flicked backwards briefly and he stared in Edmund's eyes with an unreadable expression. "Her sobs have yet to stop." Was all he said.

Edmund bit his lip as he struggled with his decision.

She needed him.

But she had asked to be alone.

"What of the Calormene?" Savageclaw asked, watching Edmund's face as different emotions visibly changed his expression every few seconds. As he watched now Edmund's eyes seemed to darken and he frowned, his mouth setting in a hard line.

"He is locked up. We cannot trial him until representatives from Calormen and Archenland have arrived." He replied, his lips were curling slightly in disgust.

"When are they expected?"

"Peter sent our fastest messengers as soon as he was sure a dungeon door had been locked behind Visirish."

Savageclaw nodded and a silence fell between the two.

"You can clock off now; I know your shift ended over an hour ago." Edmund said apologetically, suddenly realising that Savageclaw should have changed over with the other guards. "I'll stand in your place."

"It's ok, Your Majesty. Geladine is a friend of mine; I wish to do my part for the human she loves." Savageclaw explained, not moving an inch.

Edmund was touched by Savageclaw's gesture, but the last thing he wanted was to be at a loose end. He could not simply go into his room and be left with his thoughts, and he knew for sure that he would not sleep. And he did not particularly want to sleep, fearful of the visions he would have that would not quite be dreams, but also not quite nightmares.

"Right…thanks." Edmund muttered, walking away distractedly, not quite yet sure where he was going.

His feet led him to the kitchen where he had spent millions of hours with Safie over the years; when they'd missed dinner because of a late ride, or one of their numerous midnight feasts, or when they'd simply wanted a cup of tea.

Right now Mrs Beaver was rushing around, ordering about a dwarf and a satyr as she tried to keep up with the constant demand for more wine and nibbles. She was creating more of her walnuts dipped in chocolate whilst simultaneously trying to pour out more wine into the freshly-washed goblets that the dwarf and satyr were washing and drying.

Sensing an opportunity to keep busy Edmund eagerly hurried forward and carefully took the large jug of wine from her tired hand. "Let me."

"Oh no, Edmund, you're supposed to be hosting - " She began to protest but he cut her off quickly.

"You know I'd much rather be in here! And besides, you look rushed off your feet!"

He helped for at least 30 minutes until the hectic rush died down as the guests began to go to bed, many of them due to leave the palace the next morning as the birthday celebrations officially came to an end.

"I'm very grateful for your help, but off you go!" Mrs Beaver said to him sternly. "Susan will kill me if she finds you in here!"

Edmund allowed her to shoo him out, heading for the dungeons now. He'd been toying with the idea of seeing Visirish for hours, but he was certain that if he saw him he'd kill him. His self-control was always pushed to the limits where Safie was concerned, and this most certainly was all about her.

He was almost ashamed of himself for thinking this way; he should be pitying Visirish's hundreds of victims, but it was Safie who had his heart and right now he felt as though everything revolved around her; including himself.

He stopped in surprise as he discovered Geladine sitting by the dungeon door, accompanied by Arion, Orieus' third son who had carried Edmund to and from Safie's village all those years ago.

"What are you doing here?" He asked the wolf in surprise; her guard duty had ended almost three hours ago.

"I suspect we feel the same way, my King…Safie wants to be alone and I do not want to be left to my own thoughts right now. I would have stood outside her door, but I'm afraid it was impossible for me to guard and not comfort her whilst listening to her cries…" She explained gravely.

Edmund nodded in understanding and briefly wondered if Geladine and Arion would cover him if he murdered Visirish.

"I'm going to see him." He muttered, reaching to pull back the numerous bolts that locked the heavy door. The two stood back and let him with unreadable eyes, watching as he strode into the dim corridor that lay beyond it.

"Edmund." Geladine called after him, using his name as in this instance she spoke to him as one equal to another; as someone who cares about Safie. He turned expectantly. "Please don't do anything rash. Safie will not benefit from him escaping…easily." She finished a little hesitantly.

Edmund knew that she had considered what he himself had, and he was grateful for Geladine's words. Having another say them out loud was the confirmation he needed to know that Visirish needed to be punished justly, otherwise it was not a true punishment and the deaths of the villagers and the cause of Safie's problems would not be truly avenged.

He nodded once to Geladine and began to walk down the stairs, feeling the temperature drop as he descended.

The cells were small, but not outrageously so and the Narnians were not at all cruel; when a new prisoner was brought in they were given a cell with fresh straw and a blanket to keep warm as well as receiving three basic meals a day and water whenever they asked for it.

Cells lined the corridor on either side of him, each with their door slightly ajar to signify that it was empty. The doors in this section were simply intertwined bars that allowed the inhabitants to look out, and the guards to look in easily. In the next corridor they had proper doors much like the one that served as the entrance and exit. But that area was mainly for their dangerous prisoners (not that they ever had any).

Visirish was their only prisoner and the first they'd had in at least a year. Narnia had so few criminals they didn't even have a prison; they simply sent anyone guilty to Atrew – the closest prison on the outskirts of Archenland.

His footsteps were loud in the silence and he imagined Visirish quaking in his cell at the sound. But what should have been a satisfying image simple angered Edmund more.

The only cell door that was closed was halfway down the corridor and Edmund stopped, staring into the dim cell expectantly. He could see Visirish leaning against the back wall, almost dead in the centre.

The corners of Edmund's mouth turned down in hate and disdain of the man who had destroyed Safie's world.

"King Edmund." Visirish acknowledge, standing up and walking a few steps closer. The two stared at each other, each half hidden in the shadows. "These are unfortunate circumstances - " He finally ventured, taking two slow steps towards the door, his eyes never leaving Edmund's face.

"Silence!" Edmund barked, taking a step closer himself. "I am here to stare into the eyes of a murderer; not converse with one." He growled, narrowing his eyes at Visirish and staring him down. His muscles were tense and his lithe body looked as though he were preparing to attack.

"I admit nothing." Visirish declared boldly, certain that they did not have enough evidence to pin this on him.

"And yet the crime is written all over your face." Edmund quickly retorted, his voice becoming a hiss. "And in the eyes of the young woman we all love." He added, comparing Visirish's bold and confident stance to Safie's frozen and shocked one. "You will never understand the effect your actions have had on her; you're too much of a monster to even understand any human feelings."

"I understand love. And I do love Safie." Visirish stated, his confidence wavering a little as true regret filled his eyes. But this simply angered Edmund more. He couldn't fathom how such a monster could ever love someone as sweet as his Safie.

"How dare you say her name!" He snarled furiously, his hands suddenly clamping onto the bars of the door with a clang as he jolted forwards, almost shaking with rage at Visirish's brazen words. The Calormene flinched backwards a little in surprise and Edmund felt a single jolt of satisfaction. "I don't want you to ever think of Safie again." He said in a voice more menacing than Visirish had ever heard. "You do not deserve to see her, hear her, touch her or even dream of her. You are scum!" He said emphatically, letting go of the bars and leaning away slightly so that he could stand at his full height and stare Visirish down. "I'm going to ensure that you never see the light of day again, and if I hear you utter her name even once more…I will ensure you never see again at all."

He stalked away, leaving his threat hanging in the air behind him.


	20. Chapter 20

_Ok everyone, I'm back after leaving you for over a month without a single update in any of my stories! I'm really truly sorry, but I'm afraid I've just started university this year and I'm sure you can all understand what I mean when I say it's been pretty hectic! So, please forgive me! And also, please forgive me when I say that I'm not likely to have the time to write another update for at least another month! I'm so sorry! But after that it'll be my Christmas holidays and I'll try my hardest to get lots of chapters up then! Thanks for all the support for this story; it's wonderful to know you all love Safie so much! Enjoy!_

"King Edmund!"

Edmund jolted awake and fell out of bed in a tangle with his sheets. After a moment he righted himself and drew his sword from its sheath beside his bed where he'd left it. After a moment of sleepily stumbling he was steady and squinted into the gloom, his room lit by only one flickering torch.

Framed in the doorway stood a company of people he could not distinguish, though he managed to locate a centaur amongst them.

"King Edmund?" He now realised that it was Geladine who was speaking to him, her voice agitated. "Safie is gone. Her bed has not been slept in and she is nowhere in the castle."

For a moment Edmund was frozen, but he recovered quickly and charged through the group and into Safie's bedroom, finding Geladine's words to be true. Safie's bed was only slightly messed from where he'd put her on it – completely the opposite of how it looked after Safie had spent the night wriggling around in it. With slow footsteps he approached the bed and touched her pillow very gently with the tips of his fingers. It was wet to the touch from her tears.

"Search the palace." He suddenly commanded, still staring at the bed as though transfixed by it.

"We have already - "

"Search it again! Corlon?" He called out to Orieus' brother, his gaze switching to the window that was making gentle pattering noises as it was hit by the rain. "Wake everyone in the castle and have as many search teams assembled as possible. We're going to need everyone if she is to be found quickly." The Centaur clopped off, using his booming voice to wake everyone within earshot.

"Savageclaw." Edmund suddenly spotted the tiger amongst the cluster standing in Safie's doorway behind him. "What happened? How did you not notice her leave?" He demanded, supressing a shudder at the thought of fragile Safie outside in the cold wind and rain.

"She emerged just half an hour ago and said she was going to get something to eat quickly and would return in 10 minutes." The tiger explained, ashamed that he had not gone with her.

"You should have accompanied her!" Edmund practically shouted, panic beginning to rise in him as he imagined the worst.

He charged back into his room and pulled on a pair of trousers over his night breeches. He left his night shirt on and simply pulled on his boots and warmest cape, putting the hood up.

"Right; Savageclaw, assemble a team of 5 and meet me in the courtyard in 5 minutes. Ensure you have at least three of our best trackers with you." The tiger darted off, already thinking of the ideal creatures; he knew Edmund wanted animals with the best sense of smell, and he knew exactly which ones to use.

"Somebody wake at least 3 griffins and have them follow us in the air. I want them scouting the area her scent is in. Have 5 others on standby; if for some reason her trail is lost the 8 are to separate in all the compass direction points." He ordered as he dashed past. "And wake Peter!" He called over his shoulder as an afterthought.

The stables were almost completely black, but the horses were all awake and jittery inside.

"Edmund!" Philip called out as he recognised the King's face floating eerily in the light of the torch he carried. "Arion was just in here! Safie is missing!" He rushed to tell him, despite being able to tell that Edmund already knew.

Edmund unhooked his stable door and began to saddle him with quick, fluid movements. "I know. We are to follow her trail until we find her." He said simply as the rain pattered against the stable roof above them.

"Of course." Philip replied, worried mostly for Safie but also for Edmund. If Safie was not found then what would the young king do?

&"$£^(%!)

"The trail's gone, My King." Savageclaw finally admitted whilst the basset hound and beagle tried desperately to pick her scent up on the farther bank of the stream.

"Keep searching!" Edmund ordered, an ice-cold grip like iron on his heart.

He refused to admit she was gone.

Furthermore; he refused to give up his search for her.

They had followed her trail for three hours in the pouring rain and were all soaked to their bones.

He couldn't bear to think how cold Safie would be.

"We must return to the palace." Savageclaw said firmly, taking charge as Edmund's emotions clouded his rationality. "If we don't get out of this rain we will all catch ill - "

"And what about Safie?" Edmund demanded. "You all have fur to keep you warm and I have a cape; she has nothing!"

"The trail has now been washed away by the rain…there is no sense in searching in the rain. The griffins can hardly see in these conditions. If you want the best of us searching for her, then we must do it when we can all see clearly."

Edmund suddenly realised exactly how hard it was to see; the rain was pounding hard in his face and he was physically shaking from the cold. His eyes were screwed up so tight against the rain they were practically closed and what little vision he did have was further blurred by the rain drops that clung to his eyelashes, coating them with a layer so cold it was like ice.

He finally nodded reluctantly, ashamed of himself both for giving up, and for not thinking of the needs of his party.

They noted where her trail had been lost and began to trudge home silently, all with low spirits.

When they were halfway home Edmund suddenly sat up straight as he realised how blind he had been.

"I know where she is." He said confidently, wheeling Philip back around.

"King Edmund!" Savageclaw cried out from behind him, but Edmund did not notice. He was bent low over Philip, urging him on with all the speed the horse could muster.

)*!&^"%£$(

It had stopped raining over an hour ago and Edmund had dried a little with the rising sun in his face, but he was still wet enough to be chilled to the bone as a light breeze played with his hair.

His surroundings were eerily beautiful, despite their horrific past. The houses had completely overgrown gardens and ivy was beginning to climb up their walls, spiralling in beautiful patterns along the windows.

"Safie." He shouted at the top of his lungs, straining his neck as he surveyed the nearby woods and grassy slopes, certain that she was here.

When he didn't hear her voice in reply he urged Philip on and the two began to walk slowly through the village until they reached Safie's house. Even after all these years Edmund remembered it. The pretty pink roses were no longer there and the herb garden had overgrown, seeming to completely take over the small garden.

As he walked through the broken gate with hesitant steps he was hit by a wall of fragrant herbs that left his heart in his mouth.

He stopped at the closed front door and stood silently for a few long moments, wondering what he'd find, his steady breathing all he could hear. With a quick flash of regret he remembered his sword and wished he had not left it at the palace in his rush, but then Safie's soft face swam into his vision and without another thought he grasped the handle and turned it, pushing the door open with a silence-shattering creak.

It was gloomy inside and there was a stillness in the air that made it clear that no-one had been here in years. He was immediately struck by the obvious differences; Safie's mother was no longer lying on the floor, her hair that was so like Safie's lying decoratively around her head. Edmund swallowed loudly, truly appreciating for the first time how fortunate it was that Safie had never seen her mother's body.

His eyes were drawn to the cupboard he had found Safie in all those years ago. His booted footsteps seemed unnecessarily loud and dramatic as he walked over, opening the now-empty cupboard and kneeling in its entrance, his breath catching in his throat as he slid his finger into the hole in the floorboard and lifted it up with ease.

His breath escaped him in a rush of disappointment as he found the space beneath it empty. He blinked rapidly, feeling deflated. He'd been so sure she'd be here.

Unsure of what to do now he stood and inspected the rest of the house, finally noticing the piles on the floor that he had been completely blind to just seconds ago.

Worthless possessions had been taken from each of the houses and deposited in messy piles all over the floor in a way that reminded him of a gift shop, or the lost property pile at his school in his previous life. A piece of parchment with the family name on top was the only indication that the things that littered the floor had once belonged to and been important to people.

He crept forward carefully, trying not to let his wet cloak hem touch the piles of old clothes, books, goblets and family mementos. About halfway across the room he read 'Dupoire' and bent down, carefully removing the parchment and taking a good look at what was left behind of Safie's previous life.

The pile was bigger than most of the others because, as Lune had informed Peter, they had no other family, and most of their friends had been killed with them in the slaughter.

Edmund didn't know if any of it meant anything to Safie, but he knew he should at least take a few things, so that when she was found he could present them to her and convince her to return here and collect the items that had been left behind for so many years.

He remained fiercely positive and convinced that he would find her as he picked up a silver necklace, filthy with dust and pocketed it, next choosing a piece of parchment that was a love letter from her father to her mother. Finally he picked up a pad of parchment, expecting more love letters and instead discovering it to be a sketchpad.

It was a baby Safie who smiled out of the first page with chubby cheeks and hair that was long even then. The next page was a sleeping Safie, still as a baby, being held lovingly by her father who was touching his nose to hers. The next was a far rougher drawing of Safie's mother who was reading by a window. Edmund presumed it had been done by Safie's father, and the next page had a self-portrait of both her mother and her father, done with much more skill by her mother.

There were many drawings of Safie; some of her playing as a toddler, some of her sleeping, some of her reading…they showed how she'd changed as she'd aged; they told him about the life she couldn't talk about.

He couldn't help the smile that crept onto his lips at the drawing of her playing dress-up in one of her mother's dresses. She was smiling adorably out of the page; her cheeks were chubby and she could be no more than five years old.

The last one was of her and her father; their hands were clasped and they faced each other with wild smiles on their faces. The left leg of each was flung out behind them, and after a moment he realised they were dancing. With great sadness he recognised it as a jive; Safie's favourite dance.

He stopped flicking through the pages and looked around, finally seeing a small sack to put the sketchpad in. He placed the love letter in the sketchpad for protection and wrapped them in several embroidered handkerchiefs, determined to keep the parchment dry.

Standing back up he steeled himself to go back out into the cold, knowing that he had endless hours of searching to do for she obviously was not here. He was disappointed in himself; he had thought he knew her well enough to understand that she would have been drawn here for the first time since the slaughter, but he was wrong; instead he had no idea where she was.

He attached the sack securely to Phillip's saddle and hoisted himself up, leading the two back between the houses with a heart that felt as though it were hardly beating.


	21. Chapter 21

_I'm soooo sorry it's been a month since I last updated! But in fairness, I did warn you all that I wouldn't have much time (booooooo) for my stories! However; it is now my Christmas holidays so hopefully over the next couple of weeks I'll be able to do weekly updates, especially for this story as it's my favourite and I love writing it and getting all your feedback! So, thanks for all the reviews last time people, please review again, even if it's just to let me know you're angry at me for not updating sooner! Enjoy!_

The sky was dark with rain clouds as Edmund left the abandoned village. The sun that had briefly appeared as he arrived had disappeared again, but he was so engrossed in his all-consuming need to find Safie that he didn't notice. He gave a desperate sniff, suddenly alerting himself to his own miserable physical state. With hatred for himself and his weak body he realised that he'd have to return home and at least change into dry clothes.

He gave the grassy slopes one last desperate sweeping gaze, already thinking ahead to where he should search next.

"Safie." He cried at the top of his lungs, standing in his stirrups for a better look around.

A tiny dark mound on the grass far to his left caught his eye and he immediately wheeled Phillip over, irrational hope surging through his veins.

His heart seemed to thud in time with the pounding of Philip's hooves as they galloped over. The beat was urgent, quick, and completely at odds with their seemingly slow approach.

Phillip slowed as they neared the heap, but before he could stop Edmund was already on the ground, running hopefully over with his tired body spurred on at the thought of finding her.

He could see now that it was Safie; he could not mistake that long hair and fragile body.

She lay on her right side, facing away from him, her knees bent and her hair splayed out behind her as if she were sleeping. But Edmund knew she wasn't; she was lying far too still to be doing anything as safe as sleeping. Beside the hope he felt at the mere sight of her there remained the heart-clenching fear.

"Safie!" He called with a voice so raw he almost surprised himself.

He fell to his knees beside her, pulling roughly on her shoulder so that she slipped limply onto her back and he could clasp her face in his hands, feeling how cold and clammy her soft skin was. Her eyes were shut, her lips blue and parted slightly and her usually lightly tanned skin ghost pale.

Her eyes fluttered open slightly and Edmund breathed with relief, so torn between suffocating her with his embrace or killing her for the worry that she'd caused him that he at first did nothing. But as he watched her familiar eyes flit around, unable to focus on anything or recognise his face he began to panic again.

"Safie?" He asked gently, hoping that his voice may have an effect on her.

But he was left disappointed; she did nothing other than close her eyes exhaustedly. Never had he seen someone so ill they could not recognise him.

His years as a king suddenly kicked in, overriding his initial panic at what was happening to the girl he loved.

With a hurried flick and tug he pulled his cape from his shoulders and wrapped it around her like a blanket, noting numbly as he did so that her dress was so wet water was actually dripping off it.

He lifted her with great difficulty, cursing the rain for adding weight to her dress, and also himself for not being physically strong enough. He sat her leaning against the top of Philip's neck, her legs dangling over the horse's side whilst he supported her with one hand and struggled to hoist himself up into the saddle with the other.

He gripped Philip's flanks strongly with his thighs, his arms completely preoccupied with clinging to her tightly, fearful that her small frame would slip right through his hold.

"As quick as you can." He ordered the tired horse, knowing that Philip knew the correct speed to go so that the two would not fall off but would reach the palace as soon as possible.

Edmund barely noticed the ride home. He spent at least the first half hour dedicated to Safie and only Safie; staring at her drawn face and attempting to revive her with his voice. He swallowed fearfully as he noticed her shallow breaths. Even though he knew she'd be fine after a single drop of Lucy's cordial, simply seeing her like this installed him with the greatest fear he'd felt in years.

He shivered and hunched his back a little as a slight breeze hit him like a bucket of ice- cold water through his thin nightshirt. Though it was no longer raining the raindrops that remained on the trees and vegetation kept dripping onto them, leaving Edmund almost as soaked as Safie after only an hour of riding.

He gave a desolate sniff and for a short time shivered uncontrollably as he realised how close he'd come to losing Safie forever.

What would he have done if he hadn't found her?

Searched forever?

Yes.

He answered his own question so easily and with such belief that he scared himself as he realised that there was nothing he would not do for Safie.

He would willingly spend his entire life searching for her.

Would he kill for her?

Again, the yes came so quickly, so confidently that he shivered.

As they drew closer to Cair Paravel they encountered more Narnians beginning their day's activities. There were numerous whispers as the three passed and one helpful fox who'd heard the news about Safie going missing bounded off ahead to Cair Paravel to alert them of their return.

The courtyard was completely silent when they entered, but within seconds it was a hive of activity as practically everyone in the palace rushed forward to help, or at least get a glimpse of the exhausted party. Servants, guards and guests jostled with each other and craned their necks, desperate to be the one who knew the most.

Edmund watched it all with detachment, his senses and mind now as numb as his limbs.

He could feel someone tugging at Safie and he instinctively tightened his grip on her, practically holding back a growl at whoever dared to try and take her from him. Finally he recognised the face at his elbow as Peter's, and after a long moment his protesting arms gradually realised her, allowing his brother to hurry away up the front steps with her cradled in his arms.

An entourage went with him, an endless stream of Narnians going up the steps. And yet the courtyard seemed to remain just as full.

With great difficulty Edmund forced his stiff legs to move and slid off Philip, struggling to stand on his feet.

Two of his guards immediately rushed forward to help him, putting his arms around each of their shoulders and half carrying him into the warmth.

A kind stable hand led an exhausted Philip to the stables where he ignored his barrel of hay and bucket of oats and instead fell instantly asleep

They took Edmund into the kitchen and, upon Mrs Beaver's orders, placed him on a chair mere inches from the fire. A helpful Satyr appeared with a large heap of colourful blankets and they were all thrown unceremoniously over Edmund, who was still struggling to feel anything except the burning in his thighs and arms. The numerous bright colours of the blankets that now covered and surrounded him only highlighted how bright his cheeks were and how pale his face.

"Safie?" He muttered through numb lips, but there was so much going on that no-one heard him. "Safie?" He asked again, too tired to formulate a proper question.

"Don't worry about Safie, dear; she's upstairs being looked after." Mrs Beaver flustered. She suddenly appeared in Edmund's view and, with one look at his face began to tut disapprovingly. "I'm afraid you've caught a chill! I can always tell with these things. Of you all go now! Nothing to see here…"

The kitchen became significantly quieter and Edmund closed his eyes tiredly, his mind fuzzy and his skin somehow hot and cold simultaneously.

"Here you go, dear. Get this down you or you'll feel much worse tomorrow!" Mrs Beaver declared, pushing a large mug of hot soup underneath his nose.

He initially recoiled from the food that no doubt normally smelt wonderful to him, but right now seemed as unpleasant as the thought of going back outside. Eventually he forced his tired body to take the cup, too tired to argue with Mrs Beaver. He took a gulp, barely giving it time to scald his tongue before it was moving down his throat and infusing his body with so much heat it was almost uncomfortable.

Peter marched in quickly, one look at Edmund's face assuring him his questions could wait.

"His fever is starting." Mrs Beaver told Peter after a quick feel of Edmund's forehead.

"Should we give him cordial?" Peter asked worriedly, his own face drawn with worry and lack of sleep, though nowhere near as badly as Edmund's.

"No; he's a healthy boy. He should only have a mild cold after my soup; he'll be back to normal in just a couple of days." Mrs Beaver reassured him before giving a heavy pause. "Have you given Safie any cordial?" She asked tentatively as the two sat down at the table behind Edmund.

"No." Peter replied; giving a heavy sigh that showed he was clearly conflicted. "You know we're trying to only use it for things that are life-threatening. But then again…she is Safie…I think she might need it to recover from this…" He trailed off, not wanting to discuss the numerous things that were wrong with Safie's physical and mental health in front of Edmund.

There was a pause between the two as Mrs Beaver silently nodded. "Have you summoned the Physician?" She checked.

"Yes, he'll be here in just a moment; I thought I'd check on Ed whilst we were waiting."

"Well, perhaps you should see what Dr Ivan says before making a final decision about Safie." Mrs Beaver suggested.

"Yes; I'd better go back up. He'll be here any minute." Peter said slowly, rubbing a hand brusquely over his face and getting back up.

"Help Edmund upstairs would you? He's almost asleep." Mrs Beaver noted, quickly jumping up and taking the almost empty cup of soup from Edmund as his head dropped and his grip loosened.

"Come on." Peter encouraged his brother, his heart swelling a little with pride that he had managed to find Safie and bring her home, despite his own physical state. "Why's he so tired?" He mused, thinking back to numerous battles where Edmund had fought in the pouring rain for hours on end and been nowhere near as tired at the end as he was now.

"I expect it's the emotional side of things." Mrs Beaver whispered, giving Edmund a fervent glance and hoping he was too out of it to notice her words. "It can really take it out of you!" She noted wisely, quickly pulling the blankets off Edmund and onto the floor where she promptly began to fold them with expertise.

Peter gave her a slightly dubious look and put one of Edmund's arms around his shoulders, heaving him into a half-standing position. He struggled to walk out of the kitchen with Edmund dragging along beside him and refusing to take any of his own weight.

"Come on, Ed! I'm sure you can still walk!" Peter grunted.

Edmund made a groaning noise, but otherwise didn't move. Peter rolled his eyes and signalled for a passing faun to give him a hand.

After a lengthy struggle Peter and the faun practically threw Edmund onto his bed, their upper arms and shoulders burning from the effort of carrying him.

Footsteps hurried past the open door of Edmund's room and Peter instantly recognised Dr Ivan's voice disappearing into Safie's room.

"Ah, he's here!" Peter exclaimed, rushing to the door. "Get him out of those wet clothes and into bed would you?" He asked the faun. "I'm sorry but I'm needed next door." He explained, shutting Edmund's door firmly behind himself.


	22. Chapter 22

_Ok, I am so so so so so so so so sorry for making you all wait so long for another update! It's been just over 6 months since the last chapter and I can't apologise enough! I just have the pathetic excuse that I've been busy completing my first year of university, but it is officially summer now so I'll try and update as much as I can! Please review as your opinions on the story are always very helpful. Once again, I'm sorry! _

Edmund woke with a head made heavy by cold. He gave a miserable sniff that warned him that his nose was completely blocked, and he suddenly felt the stinging pain of his chapped lips. With another sniff he rolled over onto his back and tried to remember actually getting into bed. When he couldn't he traced further and further backwards until he did remember something; bringing Safie home.

He sat up with a jolt that made him groan as his vision spun. He collapsed back on his bed and held very still for a moment with his eyes squeezed shut as he waited for the dizzy spell to pass.

Finally he swung his legs out of bed, only to be gripped by excruciating pain seemingly all over. He lost his balance and fell backwards in surprise and pain, gritting his teeth to force himself to slowly sit up and identify the problem.

He cautiously flexed his muscles in small batches, first his arms, then his back, stomach and legs. It seemed every muscle in his body hurt; including several he'd never felt before.

With great difficulty he forced himself up off his bed and hurriedly hobbled to his wardrobe, the stone floor so cold against his feet it practically hurt.

His body ached too much for him to dress properly so he pulled on the longest shirt he owned and let it fall to his knees before hobbling out into the corridor and to Safie's room, intensely grateful that she was only next door.

He knocked gently and waited only a few seconds before walking in, too nervous to hold on any longer.

Safie lay in her bed, her tiny frame lost amongst the numerous white pillows and blankets that had been piled on top of her. She could barely be seen from the doorway; her dark hair that splashed over the pillows seemed to be the only thing that made her visible for her skin was now pale and sickly.

As he stepped closer he saw the sweat shinning on her face and how it had dampened her hair around her face.

"How is she?" He asked, his voice thick with worry and cold.

It was Lucy who was currently nursing Safie, and she was watching Edmund's stricken face with great intensity. Geladine lay on the bed with Safie, her warm body pressed up against her side.

"Ill." Lucy stated the obvious. There was little else she could say. She knew that any moment now Edmund was going to start demanding they give her cordial.

"Why haven't you given her the cordial?" Edmund asked after a long pause, finally looking away from Safie and at Lucy for what seemed to be the first time.

"You know we're trying to only use it for things that are life-threatening or enduring."

"How do you know this isn't - "

"The Doctor said it's only a fever, and that we should wait and see how bad it gets before giving her the cordial."

"But why? She's Safie! It's not in her to fight anything! Just give it to her!" Edmund protested, the rawness in his voice apparent as his volume rose.

Lucy was clearly not happy with the arrangement either, but she stoically argued the case with Edmund, trying to convince him that nothing was going to happen to Safie.

"The Doctor is coming to check her again in a few hours; over the next couple of days he'll let us know if Safie is likely to completely recover from this, and if she's not we will of course give her the cordial!"

"Lucy, what's the matter with you?" Edmund pleaded with his sister. "Why are you letting her suffer like this? You of all people I am surprised at – I might expect this from Susan, but not -"

Lucy turned her face away at the mention of Susan, and it suddenly dawned on Edmund's clouded mind just who had convinced everyone to wait.

His face contorted as he saw his sister in a new light that was far darker than ever before.

She had always had an excuse for her treatment of Safie in the past, and it generally went along the lines of being 'in Safie's best interests'. But what excuse would she have for this? This was in no-one's best interests, least of all Safie's.

"Where is Susan?" He asked; a dangerous tone of steel in his voice.

"She's gone riding." Lucy whispered.

Edmund nodded; he could wait.

"She's hot." He suddenly said, moving forward to lift the mound of blankets off of Safe, but Lucy's hand shot out and clamped down on his wrist.

"The Doctor said to let her sweat it out."

Edmund didn't like it, but who was he to argue with the Doctor? He slowly moved back, his eyes taking in the sweat that made her skin shimmer, and the crease in her brow that gave the appearance of a bad dream.

He could hear her breathing; it was even more laboured than it had been yesterday.

"Ed; you're not going to help her by breathing more germs into the air around her. Go and get some rest; I will wake you as soon as the Doctor comes. Safie needs you to be at your best."

At Lucy's words Edmund did indeed hobble back into his room, managing to lightly doze in the way only a sick person can.

&"(*$)!£%

It had been 4 days since Edmund had ridden back with Safie in his arms, and her frail body was weakening even more; continuously spent and exhausted by its battle to fight her fever.

Edmund sat miserably in the stool beside Safie's bed, still a little tired from his own illness but recovering quickly. Tomorrow he'd have only the remnants of a cold; a runny nose and a sore throat that had worsened after his latest screaming match with Susan. The relationship between the two siblings had been slowly disintegrating over the years, but now even Peter and Lucy couldn't look at Susan in the same way as they had just a few days ago.

Edmund had insisted on taking over Susan's watch of Safie for the last 3 days, watching as her body became weaker and weaker. She'd wake every hour or so and gaze around, her eyes dull or feverishly bright and unable to focus on anything. The worst part was when she occasionally slept properly; she'd scream and cry, but when Edmund woke her from her nightmares there was nothing he could do to reassure her that she was safe.

Geladine lay on Safie's bed, her head raised from where it had rested on top of her thighs. The wolf was exhausted; she had barely left Safie's side since Edmund had bought her home and had only dozed lightly, constantly staying half awake and listening alertly for any changes in Safie's breathing.

On the other side of Safie's bed Dr Ivan straightened up and gave a sad sigh. "I am afraid that Miss Safie has neither the strength, nor, I suspect, the will, to fight this fever." He told the waiting room of Narnians. "The fever has taken hold of her body, including her lungs and heart, and if she does manage to survive it without the cordial then I am sorry to say she will be weakened for life."

Lucy gave an audible sigh of relief at his final diagnosis and bound forward, the cordial already open in her hands. Edmund wasn't the only who had struggled over the last half week; Lucy had almost given Safie the cordial on several occasions.

Leaning across the edge of the bed she let a drop slip between Safie's parted lips as the young girl struggled for breath.

She swallowed, and after a few seconds opened her eyes, looking around at them all briefly with confusion. But her eyes quickly clouded over with misery and wretchedness and she lowered them from their faces almost in shame.

"Thank you, Doctor, please, allow me to escort you out." Susan said to Dr Ivan, indicating for the Doctor to leave the room ahead of her.

"Hey." Edmund said quietly to Safie, his chocolate eyes soft in a way only she could make them. She turned her head to look at him and struggled to sit up. Days without proper nourishment had taken their toll on her body and, though undoubtedly cured, she was weak.

"I'll go get you some lovely broth, my dear!" Mrs Beaver fussed, following Susan and Dr Ivan out.

Lucy sat down on the bed beside Safie and Geladine sat up, climbing along the bed and pushing her nose into Safie's face, giving her cheek an affectionate lick.

"You've been very ill, my little one." Geladine explained, sitting down next to Lucy.

"You scared us all very much." Peter chipped in, taking a few steps closer and leaning on the footboard. Mr Tumnus joined him, looking at Safie with his big, serious eyes.

There was silence as they all waited for her to speak.

She opened her mouth but there was a wild look in her eyes and for a moment she was unable to speak.

"Visirish - " She finally started.

" – Will be punished." Peter automatically cut in with a hard voice. "Put him from your mind, my dear, and focus on getting your strength back."

Safie opened her mouth to speak again and Edmund grasped her hand in his, holding it to his lips in both his hands and distracting her. His gaze was meaningful; they had much to talk about.

"How long have I been ill?" She finally asked.

"Four days." Lucy answered. "You had a fever, and Dr Ivan said it had spread to your lungs and heart and there was no chance of recovery."

"All that just because I went out in the rain."

"It was very dangerous." Mr Tumnus said gently.

"Safie, please don't do anything like that again." Peter said to her seriously.

"I couldn't…I had to…I needed to get away from him." She explained haltingly. "Far away."

"I understand - I really do. But there was no need; another few seconds and we had him. We would've got him away from you. This is your home after all." Peter reassured her.

She nodded a little numbly and Peter straightened up with a tense sigh. "We'll leave you to get some rest. Mr Tumnus, would you accompany me to my study?" He asked, leaving Safie's room and walking out into the corridor, his voice fading as Mr Tumnus hurried after him. "I need to pick your brain about the deal with the Lone…"

"Geladine, you're thinner…" Safie noted as her hand absentmindedly played in the wolf's thick coat.

"She's barely eaten or slept in days." Lucy told her.

"You should go and eat now." Safie said with concern. "I'm fine, just tired."

The wolf licked her cheek again and jumped down from the bed, padding off in search of a good meal.

Lucy quickly made her own excuses about being needed to help with the redecorating of her room and left Edmund and Safie alone.

There was a beat of silence between the two as Lucy closed the door after herself.

"How are you?" He asked quietly, watching the profile of her face anxiously.

She didn't reply and he didn't push her to answer.

"The worst thing is," she finally started to say, her voice cracking with the overpowering emotions she was experiencing, "I stood there, and I stood there, and no matter how hard I tried I could not remember their faces." She started to sob, pulling her hand from his and clasping it to her face in shame.

He quickly climbed onto the bed and put his arms around her, simultaneously making consoling noises as he almost cried himself at her misery.

He suddenly jolted up as he remembered something that had been pushed from his mind in all of the drama and anxiety and practically fell off her bed in his eagerness as he ran from the room, leaving her alone and sobbing.

He hurried to the stables in his bare feet and quickly returned with the sack that had still been hanging from Phillip's saddle.

Safie had managed to calm herself, too tired to really cry, and was now just hiccupping and wiping desperately at her face.

"I found these!" He explained, climbing back onto her bed and carefully tipping everything out of the sack and onto the bed between them. "A few possessions from your house had been left for any relatives who came by."

Still hiccupping faintly Safie first reached for the necklace, her face full of so many conflicting emotions Edmund couldn't identify a single one. Some of the dust had been rubbed off the necklace in the sack and Edmund could see now that it was a small silver padlock.

"A silver padlock stops the wearer's spirit being stolen." She said hesitantly, as though recalling something someone had said to her in a dream.

She clutched it in one hand and reached for the love letter, reading it but not taking anything in.

Edmund opened up the sketchpad and turned it to the fourth page, turning it around so it faced her.

"Here." He said quietly.

She looked up, her eyes more than a little dazed. They were a hazelnut colour now, as though the cordial itself had lightened them.

She looked at the drawing of her parents and simply stared for a long time before reaching out and slowly taking it, holding it closer to her face as she took in all of their features.

"Remember now?" He asked gently.

She nodded softly. "How could I forget?"

"It's been many years, Safie. You're only human."

She began to flick carefully through the rest of the drawings and when she reached the end she looked up at Edmund with a much happier gaze. "Thank you." She said seriously, putting her arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what I'd do without you." She whispered, hugging him tightly.

Edmund closed his eyes and hugged her back. "You need never say sorry to me."


	23. Chapter 23

_Hi everyone! I'm back with another chapter after only 1 week…or 2…anyway, I'm back, and this is a nice long chapter! Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, and once again I'm sorry I was away for so long! Please review as it makes me happy! Enjoy!_

The next morning Visirish stood before Peter in the large dining room, his hands chained in front of him and his shirt only loosely tied at the neck. He had spent a total of 5 nights in Cair Paravel's dungeons as the royals focused on Safie – too worried to decide what to do with him.

The meeting now was only informal; the trial would not take place until the representatives from Calormen and Archenland arrived. They were required as Visirish was a member of Calormene nobility, and his crimes had been against Archenland.

Susan and Lucy sat together at a small table in the corner, writing out short letters thanking those who had been at Cair Paravel last week for attending. Peter sat at the head of the cleared table, regarding Visirish coldly whilst Edmund lounged nonchalantly against the table further down. But his nonchalance barely disguised a boiling anger and hatred for Visirish and the pain he had caused Safie, for the memories he had inflicted upon her that she would never be able to vanquish.

Suddenly he pushed up off the table and rolled up his loose sleeves, strolling over casually.

Safie's drawn face peeked out from the doorway, unnoticed by all.

"Ed." Peter warned in a low voice, seeing his brother's fists clenching and his lean muscles tensing through his shirt.

Edmund paused mere inches from Visirish at Peter's voice, his veins protruding slightly in his arms as he attempted to control his fury.

He stared Visirish down before slowly pacing away, still tense and angry.

Behind him Visirish breathed a certain way; letting out a breath of air in relief.

At the single noise Edmund whirled around and swung at Visirish, dealing him a hard punch to the jaw.

Visirish fell hard to the floor and Edmund stepped towards him again, his pent-up anger barely touched. He hardly felt the pain in his knuckles that the punch would doubtlessly have caused, and he was knew he could've pummelled Visirish to a pulp with his little finger if it would help Safie in any way.

"Ed! Enough!" Peter called, tensing in his seat himself as he prepared to leap up and restrain the younger king.

After an age Edmund stalked away from the cowering Tarkhaan and back to the table, his face like thunder.

Personally, Peter was glad Edmund had hit Visirish and he thought it telling that none of the present guards had moved to stop Edmund from hitting the villain again. The only reason Peter had stopped him was because it wasn't the way things were done in Narnia. That, and also because the Calormene representative would doubtlessly ask questions if they presented Visirish to him as black and blue as they all would have liked.

Edmund finally looked up again when he reached his previous place along the table. He noticed half of Safie's face peeking around the door and his anger evaporated. He quickly hurried to her, leaving Peter to explain to Visirish that the trial would not be held until representatives arrived.

Safie's head retracted from the doorway as soon as she realised he'd noticed her.

"You should really be resting." Edmund apprehended her gently, taking note of her pale pallor.

"I know, but I got bored. You didn't say he was being tried today." She said uneasily.

"He's not." Edmund reassured her. "Peter's telling him that his trial will begin as soon as court representatives from Archenland and Calormen arrive."

"And when will that be?"

"Tomorrow, or possibly the day after."

Edmund could practically see her thoughts whirring as she slowly nodded.

He hesitantly pulled something from his pocket and held it out to her between his fingers. He heard her sharp intake of breath and carefully watched her face as revulsion flickered across it.

"What do you want to do with it?" He asked her. One of the servants had found the ring Visirish had given her when they'd cleaned Safie's fireplace and put it on her desk, mistaking it as a lovely piece of jewellery that she'd been given for her birthday that had somehow dropped into the fire. Though considerably less shiny from all the ash and dirt it was still completely intact and wearable.

She stared a little more at the gaudy ring Visirish had given her as though trying to commit every detail of it to her memory.

"I don't care." She finally said, tearing her gaze from it and looking into Edmund's eyes. "So long as I never set eyes on it again I don't care where it goes or who it's with."

Edmund nodded and put the ring back in his pocket. "I'll deal with it." He told her reassuringly and saw her relax just a little at his words. "Now, I insist you get some rest!" He urged her.

She wrinkled her nose delicately at his words and opened her mouth to protest but he stopped her, giving her a mock serious look.

"If you go now I'll come along in half an hour or so and read to you." He promised. She considered his words for a second before nodding and setting off back to her room.

)!"£$%^&*(

The representatives from Archenland and Calormen arrived the next day and an official court was called, with many Narnians crowding into the great hall to watch the rare event.

Guards and servants had sealed off the entire left and right side of the great hall with thick ropes, creating a standing space around the edge for all of the interested Narnians. They stood pressed together, cramped and craning over each other's heads as they called greetings to each other and gossiped about recent events.

The thrones had been moved from the throne room to the great hall, and Edmund, Peter, Susan and Lucy all sat in a line on their respective thrones on the small dais that had quickly been constructed at the end of the hall and, either side of Peter, sandwiched between him and his neighbouring siblings, sat the representatives from Calormen and Archenland. Peter was engaged in a muttered conversation with the Archenland representative who sat between himself and Edmund whilst Susan kept the Calormen representative engaged on the other side.

Safie stood half way down the hall, at the very back of the crowd. She had argued extensively with Edmund about attending the trial and in the end they had reached a compromise; he would allow her to attend on the basis that she hid in the crowd and was completely invisible to Visirish. Geladine was by her right hip and Mr Tumnus offered her comfort from her left side. He had conscientiously but needlessly taken off his bright red scarf, believing that the colour was too eye-catching and may attract Visirish's attention. The two skilfully intercepted anyone who tried to strike up a conversation with Safie and she was intensely grateful to them both, too tense to cope with anyone fishing for information or offering their sympathies.

She was exhausted and it showed on her face. She'd lain awake for the majority of the night, only occasionally managing to doze for a few minutes at a time.

Edmund too was tired. He'd purposefully stayed awake late, expecting to hear Safie scream from her nightmares, and had only fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning.

The entire hall had been stripped bare of the decorations from last week and, whilst the stone walls were familiar and comforting to Safie, they were no doubt imposing and cold to Visirish.

Safie wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the trial. Crime in Narnia was so rare and generally the four royals decided on a verdict and punishment between them, but this spanned across 3 separate countries and required the Narnians to be a bit more official.

The doors opened and a hush immediately fell over the room. Safie closed her eyes; she had no wish to see Visirish's face, nor the curious looks nearby Narnians gave her as he entered.

On his throne Edmund's eyes flickered quickly to where he knew Safie was standing and he found it both reassuring and worrisome that he could not see her.

The Tarkhaan was led in by two guards who pulled him to a stop a few metres away from the dais. Edmund noted with satisfaction that he looked worse for wear after 5 nights in the dungeon; a beard was growing freely on his face and his clothes were rumpled and slightly grubby. Furthermore, he had a split in his lip from where Edmund had hit him the previous day and Edmund felt a small thrill of satisfaction. Despite this, he thought Visirish held his head far too high for someone of his crimes. Nevertheless he stared, drinking in the sight of Visirish. If he was going to remember the bastard then he was going to remember him as he looked now; dishevelled, unkempt and ragged.

A criminal.

"Tarkhaan Visirish," Peter began, taking advantage of the lengthening quiet in the hall, "you are charged with ordering the mass murders of the inhabitants of the villages of Wilet, Slotet, Hispaner, Gettery and Wicoxan and with the crime of seducing the ward of the High King." He called out in a powerful voice. "Do you deny these charges?"

"I deny only one, most magnificent King." Visirish began, making Edmund tense in his seat and Safie sway on the spot, her eyes still closed. "I did not attempt to seduce your ward - "

"You were aware, were you not, that Safie Dupoire is my ward?" Peter demanded without skipping a beat.

"Indeed, but - "

"And you presented her with numerous expensive and luxurious gifts over a 2 year correspondence, including Calormene delicacies, clothing, perfumes, jewellery and a carriage, complete with horses and a driver who knew only the directions to your own estate; did you not?"

The Narnians began muttering amongst themselves in amazement at Peter's words and Edmund bristled.

"Yes, but - "

"Is there anyone present who does not view this as attempted seducing?"

The silence in the hall was tense as everyone looked at their neighbours and craned their necks to see if anyone objected.

No-one did.

"Then do you wish to change your plea?"

There was an agonisingly long silence during which Peter stared Visirish down, his brow furrowed and the air around him almost seeming to fizz with kingliness.

"Yes; guilty." Visirish finally said with quiet embarrassment. He'd forgotten about the private carriage.

Safie opened her eyes and let the air out of her lungs in one short, sharp breath. She hadn't even realised she'd been holding it in. From her position she could see only parts of the profile of Visirish's face. The ears and hair of the other Narnians obscured most of her view of him, and this made it easier for her to cope with.

"It is not in my power to sentence you for the mass murder; only for seducing my ward." Peter finally said before looking individually at those on the stage with him as they nodded their final consent at something they'd all previously agreed. "The four Kings and Queens of Narnia find you guilty of this crime and sentence you to 27 months in the South Archenland prison; one month for each gift you sent with filthy intentions." Next to him, Edmund stood and the entire room inaudibly gasped, wondering what he was going to do.

Safie saw Edmund's head appear above the crowd and pushed her way closer to the front, closely followed by a surprised and alarmed Mr Tumnus and Geladine.

Edmund calmly stepped off the dais and approached Visirish, a piece of cord held between his hands. "Furthermore; you shall wear this ring for the remainder of your life as a reminder of your crime." Peter said as Edmund stepped in front of Visirish and put the cord over Visirish's head, leaving the ring dangling on his chest. Edmund gave Visirish one last hard look before turning and briefly catching Safie's eye as he returned to his seat. "I now release you to the court of Archenland to stand trial for the remainder of your crimes and am recommending that, should you be found guilty, your entire estate be handed to the sole survivor of the mass murders; Miss Safie Dupoire, to do with as she pleases."

Safie gave a tiny gasp at his words and quickly shrank back into the crowd as Visirish was spun around by his guards and marched out of the hall. Nevertheless as a human she stood out in the crowd of Narnians and Visirish locked eyes with her for half a second before she hid behind Mr Tumnus and obscured her face from his view.

All those on the dais rose and followed Visirish out of the great hall. The Narnians who also wanted to see Visirish leave followed at a respectful distance; but Safie was not one of them.

Stammering excuses to Geladine and Mr Tumnus she hurried from the hall by herself, her head down and hair partially obscuring her face. She broke off from the crowd and exited the castle via the empty kitchens, running down to the beach.

She sat down in her cave and curled up, trying desperately to calm her beating heart. She couldn't think. She was feeling so many emotions that she couldn't comprehend exactly what she was feeling. They churned around inside her, upsetting her organs and making her feel sick.

She retched a little and crawled to the narrow river of sea water. Her shoes willingly fell off and she dunked her feet in up to her knees, pulling her dress up around her thighs and dropping her head in her hands. She forced herself to breathe steadily and gradually felt the nausea start to fade.

She was amazed that she wasn't crying; with so much going on inside her it seemed to be the most natural and simplest way to let some of the emotions out, or to at least confront them, but no tears were coming.

)!"£$%^&*(

"Safie? Safie?" Edmund cried, walking quickly through the palace, suddenly fearful that she'd gone again.

"Relax, Edmund. I saw her head down to the beach just 10 minutes ago." Mr Beaver's voice floated out of the kitchen as Edmund made his way down the corridor.

"Oh." Edmund simply replied, feeling a little foolish after his panic attack. "Thanks." He hurried through the kitchen, nodding to Mr Beaver who was keeping his wife company as she got on with some baking.

He hurried across the beach to Safie's cave, anxious to comfort her. When he poked his head around the entrance he saw her sitting calmly with her calves in the water, her dress lying haphazardly over her thighs and the ground around her.

With a startled jolt he dispelled any thoughts of her thighs from his head and walked in, holding his breath slightly. She looked up at him and he was surprised to see that her eyes were dry and not rimmed red.

He sat down next to her, pulled his boots off and rolled up his trousers, adding his feet to the water beside hers.

"Is he gone?" She asked quietly, her eyes on the water that was still rippling slightly from Edmund's movements.

"Yes. He's in the custody of the representatives and they're accompanied by a Guard of 10 Narnians as well as the two Calormene and Archenlandians who came with the representatives." He reassured her.

She nodded and the two lapsed into silence.

"How do you feel?" He finally asked.

"Sick." She said after a pause. "I think I'll throw up if I try and eat anything."

"I guess that's normal."

"I feel…I feel like I should be crying. Like I should be feeling so much more." She mused. "When I first got here I felt like I could burst from all the emotions inside me, but now they've gone so quickly and I just feel kind of…tired…flat…and empty."

"It's been rough." Edmund told her gently, watching the profile of her face as she frowned at the water, perplexed at how she could be feeling so little. "It's been a rollercoaster for us all so I can't even begin to imagine how it's been for you, and now it's over…how did you expect to feel?"

"Relieved? Happy? Exulted?" It was more of a question than an answer, as though she wasn't sure what the appropriate feeling would be in this situation. "I just expected to feel something. But I guess it will never be over. I'll always be wondering what my life would've been like; what he's doing at that exact moment in time; whether it's eating him up inside the way it is me."

"Safie." Edmund spoke her name so softly and sorrowfully she was surprised she didn't start crying at the mere sound. "You mustn't let this take over your life - "

"But it has." She interrupted him, looking up at him with dark eyes. "My past defines me. It makes me, me."

There was a pause between the two.

"Your past is not who you're supposed to be. It keeps you from being who you should be." Edmund finally said honestly, thinking how true it was. Had all of this not happened to Safie she may by now be a skilled archer, or perhaps even a warrior. But in all honesty Edmund could never picture soft, sweet Safie fighting for her life. She was exactly the kind of girl who fairy tale princesses were based on. She was made to be protected by a brave knight.

Edmund swallowed. Could he be her knight?

He certainly wanted to be.

To have a happy ever after with her.

"I think I'm not feeling much because it's not really over." She finally said, having thought over Edmund's point and found nothing to say back. Edmund snapped back out of his own mind. "It's over in that…I never have to see him again if I don't want to, but he still needs to be trialled for his important crime."

Edmund couldn't argue with that. It was technically over for the Narnians; it was out of their hands, but he supposed Safie would only feel closure when he'd been sentenced in Archenland.

"I want to go and watch the trial in Archenland." She said softly, biting her lip beside him and not meeting his eyes. Edmund didn't reply for a long time and she peeked up at him through her eyelashes, finding him regarding her thoughtfully.

"Ok." He finally agreed.

"Ok?" She repeated after him uncertainly.

He nodded, a little amused at her surprise. "If that's what you want then…I'll sort it. We could turn it into a nice trip for us all…would you like to see Archenland?"

She nodded; at that point she'd say anything if it meant she could go.

"Well then…" He stood, dripping slightly and picking up his boots in one hand. He held the other out to her. "We'd better get back and propose it to everyone."

She took his hand and let him pull her up, holding her shoes in one hand and the majority of her skirts bunched in the other, keeping them off her wet legs.

Peter, Susan, Lucy, the beavers and Mr Tumnus were all in the small dining room having cups of tea when the two arrived back at the castle, their feet still bare though mostly devoid of sand now.

"Hullo, dears." Mrs Beaver said as they came in.

"I have a proposal; Safie wants to go and see the trial in Archenland." Edmund started straight away, drawing out a chair for Safie and then sitting down next to her. "So I thought we could all go and turn it into a proper visit; we should be just in time for the Beltane celebrations."

Silence followed his words as everyone darted glances between the two. Safie tried to smile and appear strong.

"But…" Susan started to protest, thinking practically. "We'd have to correspond with Lune first and ensure he wouldn't mind having us, and Visirish should be tried at first light tomorrow…"

Edmund shrugged. "We send one of our fastest messengers now asking Lune to delay the trial a day and if he'll have us."

"I'd quite like to go." Lucy piped up. "We hardly saw Cor and I haven't been to Archenland in years!"

"Someone would have to stay behind to run the Kingdom." Peter mused.

"Orieus could do it." Edmund suggested. It would be the first time all four Pevensie's had left Narnia at the same time, but they need only be gone for a few days.

Peter didn't look at all convinced.

"Safie and I could travel up tomorrow in time for the trial, and everyone else could follow the next day for the main Beltane celebration and then leave straight away if you don't want to leave the kingdom for too long." Edmund continued, watching Peter for signs of him swaying.

"I suppose…yes…" Peter muttered. "You and Safie could leave tomorrow…" He repeated, thinking it all through. "The rest of us could travel on Wednesday and stay till perhaps Friday when at least one of us should return…What do you think, Su?"

"I think we need a family holiday." Susan said, much to Edmunds surprise. "You need a break more than anyone Peter; I propose that we all go. I don't mind being the one who returns early; I've seen all there is in Archenland already."

"Then it's settled!" Edmund said triumphantly, standing up before anyone could protest anymore. "I'll go send a messenger to Lune now."


End file.
